Exploring the meaning of quality of life for assisted living residents: A photo-elicitation study

From Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) perspective it is important to have information regarding the type of care needed by bedridden elderly people (BEP) living in their homes, in order to support independence, autonomy and maximize their quality of life. Some basic tasks as eating, taking a bath and the hygiene cares may be difficult to execute, regarding that almost always the main caregiver is the other element of the couple (husband or wife). Following this trend, the development of mechatronic devices is of upmost importance in creating solutions to facilitate these tasks. This paper presents the conceptual design of a mechatronic system especially devoted to the assistance during the bath of BEP. Issues as reducing the number of caregivers to only one to assist the bath and reducing the system’s handling complexity (because most of the time it will be used by an aged person) are considered. Visits to rehabilitation centers and hospitals, and respective working meetings, are considered in the development of the proposed mechatronic system.

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Meaningful Engagement Among Assisted Living Residents With Dementia: Successful Approaches

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/0733464821996866 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 073346482199686

Author(s):

Candace L. Kemp ◽

Alexis A. Bender ◽

Joy Ciofi ◽

Jennifer Craft Morgan ◽

Elisabeth O. Burgess ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Assisted Living ◽

Care Partners ◽

Meaningful Engagement ◽

Care Practices ◽

The Moment ◽

Record Review

Meaningful engagement is an important dimension of quality of life and care for persons living with dementia, including the growing number who reside in assisted living communities. This report presents preliminary findings from an ongoing qualitative study aimed at identifying best care practices to create and maintain meaningful engagement among persons with dementia. Over a 1-year period, we conducted interviews, residents’ record review, and participant observations in four diverse care communities. Our analysis identified four approaches that successfully promote meaningful engagement: (a) knowing the person, (b) connecting with and meeting people where they are, (c) being in the moment, and (d) viewing all encounters as opportunity. Incorporation of these approaches in care routines and adoption by all care partners can promote meaningful engagement, including during crises such as COVID-19.

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Enriched Tai Chi (ETC) Program Enhances Quality of Life for Older Adults in Assisted Living Facility: Feasibility Study

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.15453/2168-6408.1789 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Pooja Ghai ◽

Amanda J. Mohler ◽

Mary Tracy Morrison

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Older Adults ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Assisted Living ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Assisted Living Facility

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The Breakfast Club – co-creational meal practices as rehabilitation strategies in nursing homes

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.477 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

L Justesen ◽

U Walter ◽

N H Kristensen ◽

A M Beck

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Nursing Homes ◽

Photo Elicitation ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Mean Values ◽

Staff Members ◽

Public Health Activity ◽

Analysis Strategy

Abstract Background A growing aging population demands new welfare public health activities in nursing homes. Involving residents in meal activity through a co-creational approach as part of a rehabilitation strategy has been suggested as a solution, but knowledge is limited. This project explore how co-creational meal practices in a breakfast club might improve residents’ food related functionality and quality of life. Methods The project is designed as a three-year complex intervention study in a Danish nursing home. A breakfast club is held with 4-5 residents (16 all together) and 2-6 staff members on a weekly basis during a period of 10 month. Residents are on shift hosting the club and all members are preparing the meal together. The degree of food related functionality is assessed after each club and is analyzed through paired t-test on mean values. Semi-structured interviews in combination with Research Driven Photo-Elicitation is conducted with 16 residents and 8-10 staff members before, during and after holding the clubs in order to evaluate quality of life and potentials for implementing meal practices to everyday practices. A hermeneutic analysis strategy is applied. Results Preliminary results from 12 breakfast clubs finds an increase in residents food related functionality. Data will be presented in November 2019. All residents express impact on quality of life independent of physical or mental state. Improved functionality is not the main value for participation in the breakfast club. Staff became aware of utilizing residents food related functionality. Conclusions The study will contribute with new knowledge about whether co-creational meal activities could have a positive effect on functional abilities and improve health-related quality of life in residents in nursing homes. A meal practice based on co-creation has potential to become implemented as a public health activity in nursing homes and increase residents’ quality of life and food related functionality.

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MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS WITH DEMENTIA: EMERGENT FINDINGS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3430 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S943-S944

Author(s):

Joy Ciofi ◽

Candace L Kemp ◽

Alexis A Bender ◽

Elisabeth O Burgess ◽

Jennifer C Morgan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Assisted Living ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

Future Research ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Care Partners ◽

Meaningful Engagement ◽

Physical Abilities ◽

Community Staff

Abstract This poster provides an overview of the aims, methods, and emergent findings from an ongoing five-year NIA-funded project (R01AG062310) examining meaningful engagement and quality of life among assisted living (AL) residents with dementia. The overall goal of this project is to determine how opportunities for meaningful engagement can best be recognized, created, and maintained for individuals with different dementia types and varying levels of functional ability. Guided by grounded theory, this qualitative study will involve 12 diverse AL communities in and around Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Presently, our interdisciplinary team is collecting data in four communities using ethnographic observations, semi-structured interviews, and resident record review. We are studying daily life in each community, following 30 resident participants, and actively recruiting and interviewing their formal and informal care partners. Based on ongoing analysis, we offer key emergent findings. First, meaningful engagement is highly individualized and dynamic. Differing personal interests, along with wide variations in cognitive and physical abilities, can present challenges for AL community staff and other care partners when trying to recognize what constitutes meaningful engagement for residents. Second, multiple complex factors interplay to shape the experience of meaningful engagement among persons living with dementia, such as personal characteristics, care partner background and training, AL community design and philosophy, and state/corporate regulations. Finally, flexibility and ‘meeting the resident where they are at’ appear to be critical to identifying and fostering meaningful engagement for persons living with dementia. We discuss the implications of these preliminary findings for translation, dissemination, and future research.

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