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P3‐330: Towards a Dementia Simulation: Stepping into the Mind of a Long‐Term Care Resident Living with Dementia
Author(s) -
Felfeli Tina,
Feldman Kira,
Reguindin Jennifer,
Meyer Raquel
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.1995
Subject(s) - dementia , psychology , anosognosia , apathy , debriefing , aphasia , cognition , health care , apraxia , clinical psychology , medicine , disease , psychiatry , social psychology , pathology , economics , economic growth
Dementia has been identified as a complex disease that can be challenging for healthcare providers and caregivers. Apathy, amnesia, agnosia, anosognosia, altered perception, apraxia and aphasia are terms used to describe the symptoms of this disease. Although these medical terms and definitions serve as effective diagnostic and screening tools for healthcare providers, they may also limit our ability to understand the human experience. The cognitive decline associated with dementia leaves the person with impaired social and communication skills that limit personal expression. A simulation can create a near-reality experience for the participants and expose young healthcare professionals to the challenges of living with dementia. Objective:Develop a simulation for the symptoms of dementia that will heighten sensitivity of caregivers for the challenges faced by older adults living with cognitive impairments. Methods: The project was initiated in the summer of 2015 by the Baycrest Centre for Learning, Research and Innovation (CLRI) summer internship program. A self-administered 25-page package was created which consisted of a narrative script, dementia-symptom-related reading and writing tasks and debrief pages. The seven tasks of the simulation each addressed one or more of the cognitive impairments associated with dementia and took approximately 30 minutes to complete. At the conclusion of the simulation, participants (facilitators: n1⁄45; students: n1⁄47) completed a questionnaire that qualitatively and quantitatively assessed the effectiveness of the program. Data were also collected using individual interviews, observations and video recordings.Results:All participants rated the realism of the scenarios as good or excellent (86%). They also reported that the simulation engaged their intellect to a greater degree (71%) and developed their empathy for patients living with cognitive symptoms of dementia (100%). The debrief was rated as the most impactful aspect of the simulation. Conclusions: The Baycrest CLRI summer internship student project is a step towards the development of an easily administered dementia cognitive impairment simulation that conveys critical educational and ethical