Biography work in in long-term residential aged care with tablet support to improve the quality of life and communication – study protocol for app development and evaluation / Biografiearbeit in Senioreneinrichtungen mit Tablet-Unterstützung zur Verbesserung der Lebensqualität und Kommunikation (BaSeTaLK) – Studienprotokoll zur App-Entwicklung und Evaluation

BackgroundOlder adults in care facilities face a high risk of experiencing depression. The impact that early interventions like biographical work have on the quality of life for older adults in such facilities is unknown.AimTo develop and evaluate a tablet-supported intervention for biographical work in long-term residential aged care to increase the quality of life for older adults.DesignThe study will be conducted in a randomized pretest–posttest control group design with follow-up testing in group and single settings. Participants will be randomized to the experimental intervention (tablet-supported biographic work) or the control intervention (planned tablet-supported game playing), each guided by senior volunteers. A total of 80 residents and 16 volunteers will be recruited. The primary outcome for the residents and volunteers will be quality of life as measured with the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-for older adults. Secondary measures will be self-esteem and life satisfaction. In addition, we will examine residents’ ability to communicate and their functional independence.MethodThe first stage of the project involves developing an app. The app is developed in a user-centered, agile development process. It will use multimedia to prepare life history topics and links them to key questions. Next, a workshop is developed for the volunteers who accompany the use of the app in the institutions. During the second phase, biographic work stimulated by the app will be conducted in groups or individually with residents.DiscussionThis is the first known program tailored to older adults in care facilities and senior volunteers that aims to prevent depression by providing digitally supported biographic work.

VALIDITY OF COMMUNITY-BASED FRAILTY CHECK-UP BY SENIOR VOLUNTEERS FOR PREDICTING ADVERSE HEALTH OUTCOMES

Aim: For achieving healthy aging for all, multi-faceted frailty is serious problem in super-aged society such as Japan. We developed community-based frailty check-up program performed by trained senior volunteers. In this study, we aimed to validate the ability of the results of check-up to predict needing long-term support or care insurance or death in community-dwelling older population. Methods: A total of 1,536 older adults (mean age, 73.0±6.1 years; 74% women; non-eligible for long-term support or care) participated in the check-ups held from April, 2015 to March, 2018 in Kashiwa City, Japan. At check-ups cite, 21 items including nutrition, oral and physical functions, and social conditions were assessed; Outcome was needing long-term support or care insurance, or death from the day of check-ups until October, 2018. Results: During follow-up {median 678 days (inter-quartile range, 199-1263)}, 116 (7.6%) were newly needing for long-term support (n=50) or care (n=49), or death (n=18). The number of positive responses among 21 items was associated with decreased risks of outcome {age-sex adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), 0.87 (0.81-0.92)}. Compared those with > 18 positive responses (third tertile), individuals with < 14 positive responses (first tertile) were highly increased risks of outcome {age-sex adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), 2.44 (1.22-4.49)}. Conclusions: Community-based frailty check-ups program could predict the needing long-term support or care insurance or death in community-dwelling older population. The appropriate intervention for individuals with bad results of the check-up might contribute to serving as early prevention of multi-faceted frailty.

WHAT IT TAKES TO COMBAT DECLINE: LEARNING THROUGH AN INTERPROFESSIONAL STUDENT SENIOR PARTNERSHIP

Healthcare is in need of a workforce with the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of our aging population. Seniors face social, mental, and physical issues as they move into the later stages of life. The Student Senior Partnership Program (SSPP) connects teams of students with healthy senior volunteers in the community. Through this partnership, students learn the strategies seniors implement to stay engaged and maintain their activities of daily living to combat decline and frailty. The SSPP focuses on increasing student’s capability to assess older adults, and learn from their senior within an interprofessional team. Faculty provided training to the senior volunteers so they were prepared to function in a role as “teachers” to students from six professional disciplines (Medicine, Social Work, OT, PT, Dentistry, Pharmacy) through meaningful dialogue focused on physical well-being, relationships with family, friends, community, memory and cognition . Evaluation was performed using the Geriatrics Attitudes Scale (GAS). The pre and post survey (n=72) measured the reported capability to assess older adults and evaluate their attitudes toward the elderly. There were statistically significant improvements in six of nine assessment topics. The largest improvements were in the capability to assess resource gaps (mean=2.79 to 3.44 on a 5-point scale, p<0.001), mental status (3.03 to 3.57, p<0.001) and fall risk (2.99 to 3.50, p<0.001). Attitudes toward the elderly were measured using the Geriatrics Attitudes Scale (GAS). Overall, students improved during the program (mean=3.88 to 4.05 on a 5-point Likert scale, p<0.001).

TRAINING SENIOR VOLUNTEERS TO IMPLEMENT A GROUP MUSIC INTERVENTION FOR PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is a national program with many regional offices that offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for seniors. Research demonstrates the importance of volunteering and social participation on the well-being, health and longevity of older individuals. Further, studies of RSVP volunteers have demonstrated marked improvement in their perceived physical, mental health and quality of life (McDonald et al., 2013). Little evidence exists, however, supporting the effectiveness of using senior volunteers to assist with or even lead activities programming for persons with dementia (PWDs). Seniors Making Connections through Music, a group program designed to engage persons in the moderate to advance stages of dementia, included the training of 21 RSVP volunteers to lead or assist with the program. Volunteers were mostly female (95%) and educated (80% college/advanced degree), with more than half reporting professional or personal experiences with dementia (62%). Data were gathered through structured interviews and post-session debrief meetings. Findings suggest volunteers felt they were able to use existing knowledge and experience, received good and helpful supervision, and reported increased knowledge of dementia after volunteering for the group. Other results summarize: Volunteer satisfaction with program, role, tools and materials used, the program’s impact on the community, and willingness to volunteer for the program in the future. Programmatic features, training protocols, and the impact of using retired senior volunteers to strengthen program sustainability will be discussed. Volunteer testimonials and video demonstrations will also be shared.

GOING FOR THE WIN-WIN-WIN: HARNESSING THE POWER OF SENIOR VOLUNTEERISM TO ADDRESS DEMENTIA CARE AND PROMOTE HEALTH

The public health implications of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (ADRDs) are significant and have placed considerable pressure on the U.S. healthcare system. Training and mobilizing a critical mass of volunteers to address unmet dementia care needs may be a potent, scalable, and cost efficient approach to address gaps in dementia care and to support family caregivers. Further, by engaging older volunteers to do this work and remain in productive and impactful post-retirement roles, additive population health benefits may be possible. This session will focus on ways we might harness the power of senior volunteers to meet the public health challenges associated with ADRD. Presentations will draw from three innovative community-based projects that utilize senior volunteers to support and enhance health in aging and dementia care. Dr. Carlson will provide an update on the evaluation and scaling Experience Corps, an intergenerational program that engages senior volunteers to work in elementary schools. Dr. Gaugler will discuss the Porchlight Project, a new multicomponent training approach for senior volunteers in Minnesota to enhance dementia care capabilities and support to underserved older persons. Dr. Samus will introduce the MEMORI Corps program, a novel activity-based companion care program for home-residing persons with ADRD delivered by trained senior volunteers. Given the current and impending shortages in the geriatric work force and family caregivers, respectively, innovative and readily available long term service and support options are needed to offset potential care gaps. The current session proposes the novel incorporation of volunteers as one solution to do so.

MAKING ENGAGEMENT MEANINGFUL THROUGH ORGANIZED ROUTINE INTERACTION (MEMORI) CORPS TRIAL: AN INTRODUCTION

This presentation will review the design, methods, and early lessons learned from the Making Engagement Meaningful through Organized Routine Interaction (MEMORI) Corps trial recently funded by NIA. This trial is evaluating the feasibility and efficacy of the MEMORI Corps program, a novel 12-week activity-based companion care model designed to mobilize and equip senior volunteers to deliver individualized, evidence-based activity programming to persons with dementia PWD living at home and offer family CGs needed respite. The intervention synthesizes and adapts prior evidence-based work from the Tailored Activities Program® (an activity-based intervention persons with dementia), Experience Corps® (an intergenerational civic engagement program that engages senior volunteers to work in elementary schools), and MIND at Home® (a home-based dementia care coordination program) to simultaneously address unmet respite care needs of family CGs, provide PWD structured meaningful activities and social engagement, and provide meaningful engagement and peer support opportunities for senior volunteers.

Leadership and Peer Counseling Program: Evaluation of Training and Its Impact on Filipino Senior Peer Counselors

Senior volunteers represented a significant, mostly untapped lay resource of informal social care. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the training program on improving senior volunteers’ competency toward peer counseling, and explored its impact on their well-being after three months of the program implementation. We conducted a pre- and post-intervention analysis among 60 senior volunteers aged 60–82 years. They participated in 40 h of training and performed weekly peer counseling home visits for three months. We evaluated the program using survey questionnaires, trainer observation and debriefing, and focus group discussions. After the training, peer counselors showed a significant improvement (p < 0.001) in knowledge (17.1 versus 22.3) and skills (17.0 versus 17.9). All of them met the minimum required passing level of 70% for the knowledge test, and their overall performance was satisfactory as rated by two independent trainers. After three months, peer counselors showed a significant improvement (p < 0.001) in their subjective well-being (d = 0.69) and depressive symptoms (d = −0.67). Filipino senior volunteers could be trained to serve as peer counselors in their communities. This program improved their competency and well-being. Future research is warranted to determine whether the provision of counseling by them will affect the health outcomes of the target population.