Authors (including presenting author) :
Chin L Y, Chung P W, Lee K L, Ng K M, Wong K T, Au L M L, Ho Y K, Cheung M C M, Man T S D, Lui S F, Shun K W, Chan M C R, Wu Y K A
Affiliation :
Department of Psychiatry, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong
Introduction :
Technology is expanding and influences people’s mode of living. Elders can hardly survive if they are not equipped with relevant skills to operate electronic devices. Elders with mental illnesses may easily get excluded in this new era, especially the vulnerable group suffering from cognitive impairment who are undergoing inpatient treatment. To facilitate them embracing the technological based society, a 6-weeks ETI programme is designed. It involves applying various electronic gadgets (AI Robot Temi, physio-receptor, robotic pets, switch & ring fit, ipads & apple pencils) to deliver nursing interventions. With different interactive interfaces, it enables psychogeriatric patients to explore the amazement of technology in promoting their quality of life.
Objectives :
(1) To refine current nursing practice by incorporating electronic devices into contemporary interventions
(2) To motivate and empower psychogeriatric patients using technology in daily life
(3) To prepare psychogeriatric patients to receive telecare after discharge under COVID-19 pandemic
Methodology :
A small-scale “pre-test” and “post-test” pilot study was conducted from August to September 2021. Psychogeriatric inpatients who were (i) Aged >= 65, (ii) Diagnosed with dementia, (iii) Rated level 2-4 in Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) were recruited to join a 6-week ETI programme with respective themes.
The intensity of neuropsychiatric symptoms rated in the Chinese version of Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPIQ) before and after the programme was the primary outcome measurement of our study while the self-rated mood level before and after each ETI session was the secondary measurement.
Result & Outcome :
A total of 8 psychogeriatric inpatients were recruited in the ETI programme. 2 patients dropped out due to discharge issue.
Majority of the participants show improvement in agitation aspect of the neuropsychiatric symptoms at the end of the ETI programme and rated their mood with positive change after each ETI session.
ETI can reduce the intensity of the presented neuropsychiatric symptoms of patients with dementia and improve their mood. It is suggested to conduct ETI for psychogeriatric patients with different diagnosis to further proven its effectiveness.
