PRODUCTS FOR ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS WITH NULL BEHAVIOR

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A SENSORY STIMULATION PRODUCT(S) FOR THE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION OF PATIENTS SUFFERING WITH ALZHEIMER'S TYPE DEMENTIA WHO EXHIBIT NULL BEHAVIOR. PRESENTLY THESE PATIENTS' QUALITY OF CARE AND LIFE IS SEVERELY DEGRADED BECAUSE CAREGIVERS INTERACTION VARIES SO WIDELY DEPENDING ON THE CAREGIVER'S LEVEL OF TRAINING AND ABILITY TO COPE WITH THE PATIENT'S LEVEL OF IMPAIR- MENTS. MANY CAREGIVERS EITHER IGNORE THE PATIENT OR RELY ON PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL RESTRAINTS AS THE PRIMARY METHOD OF INTERVENTION. THE NEW FEDERAL LEGISLATION KNOWN AS OBRA 87' IS REQUIRING CAREGIVERS TO FIND APPROPRIATE CUREGIVING SOLUTIONS FOR THESE SUFFERERS, AS THE ELDERLY, THE FASTEST GROWING POPULATION SEGMENT (65 AND OLDER) OF OUR SOCIETY, IS THE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SENSORY SATISFYING OBJECTS WILL BE DETERMINED THROUGH STRUCTURED OBSERVATIONS OF THE PATIENT IN AN INSTITUTION- ALIZED SETTING. VARIATIONS OF PRODUCT DESIGN AND MOUNTING WILL BE PURSUED IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT(S) THAT IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE FOR PATIENT USE AS WELL AS EASY FOR CAREGIVERS TO IMPLEMENT AND MAINTAIN. THIS PRODUCT(S) WILL HAVE WIDESPREAD COMMERCIAL APPLICATION IN INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE CARE SETTINGS GREATLY ENHANCING THE PATIENT'S QUALITY OF CARE AND LIFE.