Doll Therapy in Dementia Specific Residential Care

This project aims to explore the use of a baby doll in providing enhanced life engagement to residents with dementia. Peer-reviewed journal articles support the use of dolls in triggering happy memories and/or soothing patterns of behaviour. Measurements of behaviour and emotion (the ERiC and RAGE) will be taken before, during and after the therapy sessions for analysis. Once data collection has been completed and analysed, the results will be used for the purpose of creating an individualized doll therapy plan for each resident, to be implemented in their life engagement program.

Chief Investigators: Dr Catriona Lorang
Partner Investigators: Veronica Mera and Colleen Lundy-McDonald
Status: Project is due for completion April 2011.

Project Contact Details
Dr Catriona Lorang
P 0420 811 240
E clorang@hammond.com.au

Sydney Multisite Intervention of Laughter Bosses and ElderClowns: Humour therapy in residential aged care (The SMILE Project)

The Sydney Multisite Intervention of Laughter Bosses and Elderclowns (SMILE) is a randomised controlled trial of humour therapy. Approximately 400 residents from 36 low care (hostel) and high care (nursing home) residential facilities will be randomly assigned to receive the SMILE treatment or usual care. The SMILE treatment involves ElderClowns visiting weekly for twelve weeks, and staff volunteers trained to be Laughter Bosses and bring humour to daily care routines. SMILE will evaluate whether humour therapy improves the residential quality of life, mood and behaviour and reduces staff turnover. This project is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Chief Investigators: Clinical Associate Professor Richard Fleming, Professor Henry Brodaty, Professor Lyn Chenoweth, Dr. Lee-Fay Low and Dr. Peter Spitzer.
Collaborative Groups: Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Status: In progress and is due to be completed December 2011.

Project Contact Details
HammondCare Research team
P (02) 8280 8444
E research@hammond.com.au

Person-Centred Environment and Dementia Care Dementia Project (PerCEN)

Literature suggests that quality of life (QOL), quality of care (QOC) and Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) can be improved by relatively simple and inexpensive person-centred approaches to nursing care practices (PCC) and modifications to physical environment (PCE). Most research on this topic is observational, and few randomised controlled trials have included a economic evaluation of PCC and PCE together. The PerCEN study aims to conform the value of evidence-based nursing by evaluating the efficacy and cost effectiveness of implementing PCC and PCE in residential dementia care services.
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Chief Investigators: Clinical Associate Richard Fleming, Professor Lynn Chenoweth, Professor Ian Forbes, Dr. Madeleine King, Dr Jane Stein-Parbury, Dr. Marion Haas, Dr. Yun-Hee Jeon and Professor Henry Brodaty.
Status: In progress and is due to be completed September 2011.

Project Contact Details
HammondCare Research team
P (02) 8280 8444
E research@hammond.com.au

Improving social interaction in residential aged care by working with staff, families and the physical environment

This study demonstrates and evaluates the implementation of a programme of environmental models, staff training, mentoring and family support. This project is funded by the Department of Health and Ageing under the Encouraging Best Practice in Residential Aged Care Program.

Collaborative Groups: Uniting Aged Care (Victoria) and Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Status: Project Completed January 2011.

Project Contact Details
HammondCare Research team
P (02) 8280 8444
E research@hammond.com.au

Strains in Dementia Care Scale

There is a 25-year literature on strain amongst family members caring for people with dementia at home, and a number of validated instruments to measure it. Caring for people with dementia in residential aged care facilities can be equally stressful for staff but this has been much less studied, and there is no reliable and valid scale to measure this important variable. This project is the end stage of a long process in three countries aimed at developing an instrument called The Strains in Dementia Care Scale. The scale has been distributed to nurses and care staff in both Sweden and Australia for completion to adequately validate the new scale, including confirming the five factors that are predicted to cause staff stress.

Chief Investigator: Mike Bird
Status: Project completed November 2010.

Project Contact Details
Dr Mike Bird
P 0427 939 953
E Mike.Bird@gsahs.health.nsw.edu.au

Keeping curtains on track

Residents of HammondCare’s special care unit for people with severe and persistent challenging behaviours were continuously pulling down curtains, which resulted in damage to walls and fixtures and the ripping out of curtain tracks. This project sought to identify alternatives to the strong curtain tracking and fixtures used at the cottage, which were unable to cope with such treatment by the residents, to ensure that residents could continue to enjoy the many benefits of curtains in the home.

This project determined that the behaviour of the residents in pulling the curtains down was not triggered by any other stimuli aside from the presence of the curtains. HammondCare partnered with an interior designer and curtain maker to identify alternatives that would reduce the impact of this behaviour on the environment, facility, staff and residents.

The solution was to modify the Kestral system of magnetic fixings to the cottage. This system allows the curtain and the track to fall away easily and with minimal damage when pressure is exerted. Once pulled down, staff can lift the track towards the magnetto rehang the curtain without using a ladder. A plastic track was used to hang the curtains, instead of a light weight aluminium track, to ensure stability and a lightweight to allow staff to lift the track whilst also reducing the potential for injury when the track is pulled down.

This creative solution modified the environment to reduce the impact of the behaviour on residents and staff whilst still maintaining comfort and amenity for residents by ensuring that home-like decorations, such as curtains, can continue to be used in the cottage. It demonstrates that risk can be managed, rather than eliminated, to ensure a comfortable and safe environment for all.

Chief Investigator: Meredith Gresham
Status: Completed October 2009.
Links: Australian Ageing Agenda Article December 2009 Keeping Curtains on Track

Project Contact Details
Meredith Gresham
P (02) 8280 8444
E mgresham@hammond.com.au

Last updated 24 March 2011