HOME 4 CARE--the Hearthstone Optimized Multimedia Environment for Care-planning, Activities, Recreation, and Education

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant In the proposed Phase Project we will develop and test an innovative product called HOME CARE the Hearthstone Optimized Multimedia Environment for Care planning Activities Recreation and Education which will be the first commercially available mobile software suite designed to improve the quality of care provided by home health workers to persons with dementia The suite will consist of three main components functions each of which relates to different but equally important aspects of caring for persons with dementia PWD in a Home Care Environment HCE These three components are Dementia specific Care Planning DCP Dementia Education for Homecare Staff DEHS and Therapeutic Recreation activities for Homecare Patients TRHP The H C Suite H CS will be designed to operate on inch tablets In Phase we will develop the foundation of and initial content for each of the three tiers These include the Information Gathering Module of the DCP three foundational courses on dementia care for home health aides HHAs and three different types of tablet based activities for persons with dementia to use on the home health aides tablet computer In the Phase project three further developments will occur First we will create the Goals Section of the DCP module building on the foundation of the Information Gathering platform This will enable home health agencies to utilize a care planning tool designed specifically for staff serving persons with dementia This tool will enable case managers and administrators to create mobile electronic calendars and task lists for HHAs which will give them a clear purpose throughout the day while working with a client with dementia These calendars and tasks lists are becoming essential in these days of multi caregiver environments The calendar will serve a very practical purpose of making HHAandapos s aware of the clientandapos s appointments with case managers social workers rehabilitation staff physicians etc It will even help with grocery shopping Beyond these practical uses the calendar will also enable supervisors to schedule meaningful activity TRHP for the PWD on a regular basis thereby potentially increasing the clientandapos s engagement affect and quality of life CITE The calendar could also be used to schedule staff education during downtime DEHS This integrated approach to care of dementia is much needed in the home health market In Phase we will also create seven additional minute long training modules on specific topics in dementia that are directly related to home health staff This will bring the total to the foundational topics of dementia care for product launch at the end of the study Finally in Phase we will develop a fourth type of activity programming ultimately creating sets of content fo each of the four activity types for an overall total of activities at product launch Long term plans after launch include developing additional educational modules and activities for use with the H C system PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE In the proposed Phase Project we will develop and test an innovative product called HOME CARE the Hearthstone Optimized Multimedia Environment for Care planning Activities Recreation and Education which will be the first commercially available mobile software suite designed to improve the quality of care provided by home health workers to persons with dementia The suite will consist of three main components functions each of which relates to different but equally important aspects of caring for persons with dementia PWD in a Home Care Environment HCE These three components are Dementia specific Care Planning DCP Dementia Education for Homecare Staff DEHS and Therapeutic Recreation activities for Homecare Patients TRHP The H C Suite H CS will be designed to operate on inch tablets