A NEW method of care for dementia patients is being hailed a success after it was introduced into nursing homes in Queensland and the ACT.
The Salvation Army Aged Care Plus Making Moments Matter program aims to make the formal nursing home environment less clinical and more personal.
From cuddles from staff, to walking with the cleaners, the new model is designed to make “family members” – not residents – feel at safe and at home.
Aged Care Plus has been rolling out the model at its centres at Chapel Hill, Cairns, and Mountain View, Narrabundah, in the ACT.
As a result, the organisation is now seeing a significant reduction in falls and the use of psychotropic medications.
Falls have been reduced by 85 per cent at the ACT facility and 67 per cent at Chapel Hill, while the number of residents requiring psychotropic medication has dropped by 33 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.
The model has also has a positive effect on residents' pain levels. At both centres levels have stabilised for 60 per cent of residents.
Amanda Jackson's mother, Sue, has lived in the dementia ward at Mountain View since 2008.
“She was diagnosed in 2002,” Ms Jackson said. “It was an unbelievable nightmare trying to care for my mother.”
Ms Jackson said since the centre implemented the new program of care, her mother has become less aggressive and is eating more after changes were made to make meal times less structured.
Under the Australian-first model, physical, cultural and environmental changes were made including painting rooms in bright colours to help those with sight spectrum decline and making social areas more intimate.
Residents are also involved in domestic duties, giving them a sense of purpose and value, and meals are shared with staff.
“Mountain View is so light and airy now with a sense of home,” Ms Jackson said.
“Mum has had a number of falls in the past, running into the walls. But now with the bright colours she can actually distinguish between the floor and walls. I also believe it’s had an emotional response.”
She said the program was providing greater quality of life for residents.
“They are engaged and welcomed into a new home and I can see they are no longer bored or reserved.”
Aged Care Plus executive manager Peter Bewert said the interim results showed the value of “replacing task-orientated routines with relaxed home-like experiences where staff are considered to be an extension of the family cannot be underestimated”.
