Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong WY(1), Yeung E(1), Tse WC (1), Lau E(2), Chan M (1), Chan Y (1), Chan R (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Nursing Services Division, Wong Chuk Hang Hospital (2) Department of Medicine, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital & Wong Chuk Hang Hospital
Introduction :
Loneliness and depressive symptoms are commonly observed among patients in long term care settings. Toys have been increasingly used for the elderly with dementia to provide comfort, reduce agitation, uplift mood, improve cognition and increase social interaction. Therefore, a pilot study has been conducted using toy intervention to improve the overall quality of life of patients in an infirmary hospital.
Objectives :
To explore the effectiveness of nurse-led toy intervention for infirmary patients
Methodology :
The pilot study was conducted in two infirmary wards. Patients who had been admitted for more than 3 months and had retained a certain degree of communication ability were recruited. Patients with infection, acute illness or in a vegetative state were excluded.
13 toys of 4 different categories, which included dolls for comfort, baby utensils for reminiscence, wooden blocks for fun and matching cards for cognitive stimulation were available. Each participant received a weekly 15-minute toy session led by a trained nursing staff for 8 weeks.
Patients’ immediate reactions, including change of mood, behavior and interaction were recorded by the nursing staff using a self-designed observation chart immediately after the session. A qualitative analysis was also conducted using semi-structured interviews by a geriatric nurse.
Result & Outcome :
154 sessions of toy interventions for 24 patients of age 48-107 were performed. 37% of participants had coherent speech. Immediate improvement in mood and interaction with staff were observed in 76% and 82% of the sessions respectively. A qualitative analysis was conducted by interviewing 3 participants and the trained nursing staff. All 3 participants showed positive feedback and rated the program 8 out of 10. This was a new experience for them, and they requested more of these sessions in the future. They also indicated that they had a better appetite and sleep quality after the sessions. The nursing staff added that the intervention resulted in a temporary decrease in pain score from 7 to 5 out of 10 using the Numerical Rating Scale. This study showed that the nurse-led toy intervention may improve appetite, sleep, mood and social interaction in infirmary patients. Regular sessions could also improve the overall quality of life. Future directions include the involvement of caregivers in the intervention and the use of quantitative methods to evaluate the effectiveness of specific types of toys.
