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P1‐539: LIVING WITH A WELL‐KNOWN STRANGER
Author(s) -
Tyrrell Marie,
Fossum Bjöörn,
Religa Dorota,
Skovdahl Kirsti,
Hillerås Pernilla
Publication year - 2018
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.2018.06.550
Subject(s) - frontotemporal dementia , irritability , psychology , dementia , psychiatry , apathy , distress , clinical psychology , disinhibition , disease , developmental psychology , anxiety , medicine , cognition , pathology
residents and staff were asked to write words or phrases that expressed how the felt about the activity on the ArtBus, which is a retrofitted airport shuttle bus incorporating drawing-ready exterior sides and interior walls (Figure A). Methods:A two-hour pre-session was held during which staff members introduced the residents to swatches of colored and textured fabric (colors of rainbow plus black and white) and a description of the ArtBus. Assessment of the residents’ demeanor was completed during the initial session using the Overt Agitation Severity Scale (OASS pre-score), which was determined to be an effective instrument to measure the responses of dementia patients (Sullivan, Sillup & Klimberg, 2015 in Applications of Management Science, Vol. 17). Following the pre-session, residents and staff transitioned to the ArtBus, where they wrote words and phrases expressing how they felt about the activity. Afterward, words/phrases from residents and staff were recorded and the OASS was completed for the residents (post-score). The words/phrases were analyzed using JMP and their Text Explorer platform. Results:Qualitative analyses generated results that found writing on the ArtBus an enjoyable experience and that 80 percent of the favorite colors identified by residents in the pre-session were used by them to record their words/phrases on the ArtBus. Quantitative analyses of the OASS scores were conducted and Word Clouds for the residents (Figure B) and for the staff (Figure C) depicting their feelings toward the ArtBus session were produced. Conclusions: Despite paucity of data, findings suggest that this exercise was beneficial in reducing residents’ anxiety and agitation and in providing staff meaningful interaction with residents, who dementia and/or early onset Alzheimer’s disease.