We will explore the feasibility of developing a specialized collection of recreational interventions to be used by nursing assistants in managing the agitated behavior of nursing home residents with senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type and for engaging these residents during their unstructured idle time. Nursing and recreational staffs will be surveyed concerning their satisfaction with existing recreational tools as well as current strategies for handling agitated behavior. A selection of existing intervention tools will then be introduced onto the unit to serve as the catalyst for developing performance criteria for more specialized intervention products. Ten to twelve nursing assistants will be oriented to the function of the interventions and encouraged to use them with a sample of 12-15 residents who have been assessed by staff as reflecting high and low levels of agitation. Residents and staff will be observed using the interventions during agitated and idle periods. Staff will critique the existing interventions and assess their effectiveness as behavioral management tools. The interviews and observations will identify design criteria for a new collection of products. Cross Creek will then explore the feasibility of developing them within cost and manufacturing constraints.
