A creative new room at a Long Island, NY, nursing home may serve as a model for improving quality of life and care through nonpharmacologic interventions for residents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
The immersion room at Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center allows for expanded programming projected on walls and gives staff opportunities to observe residents in a more relaxed, natural setting..
“In addition to enhancing sensory stimulation opportunities for our residents, we’ve also seen success in reducing agitation, restlessness, wandering and anxiety, lessening the strain on all staff,” said Kathleen Biggs, a certified dementia specialist at Gurwin, a 460-bed facility.
Gurwin worked with Besser Rooms, a Long Island company that designs specialty rooms using advanced technology to create stimulating, soothing or therapeutic environments, to develop the space within its 60-bed memory care unit. The 13-by-13-foot room has state-of-the-art projection, along with visually stimulating sights, sounds and scents that can mitigate symptoms and surface memories that help residents connect with their former lives.
Staff members have continued to develop person-centered programming not only for residents who are alert and active but also for those with more advanced symptoms.
“The immersion room has enhanced our programming abilities immensely, providing endless opportunities for a wide range of beneficial therapeutic experiences to our diverse population, whether it be a health and wellness program, cultural event, travel or a concert,” Biggs said.
Gurwin received a $25,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America to develop the immersion room.
The funding, which is awarded annually to a nonprofit member organization, is aimed at seeding programs that will improve the lives of people with Alzheimer’s disease or related illnesses, and their families. Applicants must demonstrate creativity, need and the potential to replicate the project in other locations or areas.
From the September 2024 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
