‘Cognitive care stations’ will soon be rolled out across Ward 3B as diversional therapy to encourage meaningful activities of social engagement and mental stimulation for patients.
Conversation cards, therapy dolls, picture books, music and stuffed animals are among the many resources being used to reconnect patients with past hobbies, interests, and work life.
Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District Clinical Nurse Consultant for Dementia and Delirium, Katherine Paulette says the aim of the trial is to tailor care to a patient’s individual needs without pharmacological management.
“These new stations allow for more person-centred care interventions and will look to reduce the over reliance on medications to respond to behaviours associated with cognitive impairment,” says Katherine.
“Objects have been selected to trigger and stimulate a multi-sensory response. Through the recurrent use of the resources we hope to connect patients to a particular memory, person, place or thing.”
Dementia impacts close to half a million Australians with almost 1.6 million Australians involved in their care.
Partnering Nepean Hospital on the implementation of the trial is Western Sydney University’s Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research.
Director of the Centre, Associate Professor Lauretta Luck says there is evidence to suggest diversional and reminiscent therapy like the cognitive care stations can challenge the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
“Therapy of this kind has shown to improve moods, reduce agitation and increase communication,” says Lauretta.
“While much is known about how diversional activities like this can help improve a patient’s outcomes in the home or residential aged care environment, far less is known as to the efficacy of applying such interventions in an acute care hospital setting. This is what the study will examine.”
If successful the project is hoped to rolled out across the entirety of the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District.
Resources for the cognitive care stations were purchased with donations from Penrith based charity, Our Community Cares.
