When Lisa Martin, RN and unit manager for Mountain View at Fairmount, a floor that serves about 80% dementia patients, applied for a grant from Leading Age for an intern, she did not realize how crucial the effects of COVID-19 restrictions would make the position. Leading Age is a trade association for nonprofit organizations that serve the elderly. The organization advocates for quality care and services for seniors.
When Martin applied for the grant, she had an employee in mind for the internship. Lainey Mast, a junior at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, had worked for Fairmount as a resident care assistant since 2017. Martin knew Mast, now a psychology and social work major with plans to work with the elderly, would be a good fit for the position. What she did not know at the time was that the work she planned for Mast to do would be so necessary for patients who were uncomfortable after being isolated under COVID-19 restrictions.
While earning her degree from Millersville University, Martin studied evidence-based research, and she wanted to revisit that area for her patients. "I wanted the most up-to-date research and how could we apply that to taking care of our residents," said Martin.
Beginning at the end of May, Mast researched interventions for residents with dementia-related behaviors and those struggling with the isolation they experienced under COVID-19 restrictions. "Based on the research, I created individualized interventions for residents and implemented them daily," said Mast, who observed behavior patterns in specific patients and identified triggers and removed them when possible.
In other cases, residents were understimulated. "I looked into their interests and came up with creative activities for them," said Mast, who incorporated exercises that have been found effective such as using music to aid recall or reminiscence therapy, where she showed a video related to a patient's past interest to stimulate conversation.
Mast spent time educating Fairmount staff during daily huddles, where she discussed general approaches to working with residents with dementia. She also briefed them on the best ways to work with specific residents. She worked with staff to develop theme weeks that helped add enjoyment to residents' days as the quarantine progressed.
The internship was due to end in mid-July. Reflecting on what she learned, Mast noted that she has discovered how important it is to get to know the individual resident prior to trying to understand the patient's behaviors. "Going forward this has given me a better understanding of what interactions with people with dementia look like on a daily basis," she said. "In my previous job, I interacted with the residents, but it was much more task focused and this is much more person focused." She also noted that the experience had showed her which approaches and communication are effective and which are not.
Martin noted that initially she was concerned about how COVID-19 restrictions would affect the internship, but she soon learned that Mast's work could have a positive effect on the isolated residents. "Lainey has been great," said Martin, who noted that Mast had met with caregivers, identified patients who were struggling, and tailored plans to meet their needs. "(Mast) looks at interests and care plans and interviews team members to help improve the quality of life overall with those residents," shared Martin, who added that when the internship ends staff members will be able to utilize the intervention plans Mast developed. "Knowing a baseline of what (a resident's) interests are and what they respond to will be good," she said. "It's improving quality of life as a whole by giving them meaningful activities that could in turn prevent (issues)."
Fairmount is a nonprofit Life Plan community located at 333 Wheat Ridge Drive, Ephrata. Readers who would like to know more about Fairmount may visit http://www.FairmountHomes.org.
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