Healing Spaces: Feasibility of a Multisensory Experience for Older Adults with Advanced Dementia and their Caregivers

TL;DR

Healing Spaces introduces a multisensory intervention using smart technology to improve behavioral symptoms in older adults with advanced dementia, demonstrating promising feasibility and caregiver interest in a memory care setting.

Contribution

This study develops and evaluates a novel multisensory experience platform for dementia care, integrating digital and physical components for ease of use by caregivers.

Findings

Feasibility of the multisensory intervention was confirmed in a memory care setting.

Caregivers and managers showed strong interest in adopting the approach.

Identified areas for technical and logistical improvements.

Abstract

Healing Spaces proposes a new approach to multisensory interventions that show potential in ameliorating the behavioral and psychological symptoms of advanced dementia in older adults. Using smart technology, the project combines both digital and physical components to transform spaces and create unified, curated sensory experiences that provide meaningful context for interaction, and are easy for caregivers to deliver. A usability study was conducted for the Healing Spaces app followed by a feasibility evaluation of the full experience in a memory care facility recruiting caregivers, and residents in advanced stages of dementia. The feasibility evaluation successfully illuminated strengths as well as areas for improvement for the Healing Spaces experience in a memory care setting with older adults with advanced dementia. Caregivers and facility managers expressed interest in continuing to use Healing Spaces with the residents of the facility. Lessons learned about the technical and logistical implementation of Healing Spaces are discussed, as well as future directions for study design and potential therapeutic value of the experience.