Photos help residents with cognitive impairment
But LEC says to exercise caution with music programs
Monday, July 30, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
Willows Estate has two programs for residents with cognitive impairment which life enrichment co-ordinator Teddy Mazzuca says have been "very successful."

Staff at the Aurora long-term care home is finding that residents with cognitive impairment are responding well to the Picture Perfect and Mystery Bag programs.

Picture Perfect is a program developed by the home’s life enrichment staff. Staff members slather large photographs across the top of a table. The photos are often of people, animals or brightly-coloured gardens.

Families sometimes provide old photos as well. When residents in the program see a photo of a family member, there’s often a response, says Mazzuca.

“They’re not able to tell us who they are, but you can certainly see in their eye, and they’ll point their finger. There’s some recognition there,” she says.

About six residents at a time are ushered into the activity area, which is always held in a quiet location. Staff will wait for a response.

“They’re able to focus in on the pictures, and we’ll find that they pick the pictures up and they hold them and look at them,” says Mazzuca.

Mazzuca says the bright colours of a photograph are good for visual stimulation. Old family pictures are good for memory skills, she adds.

The Mystery Bag program is a recent addition to the enrichment curriculum at the home. For this sensory program, activity staff takes a brown paper bag and fills it with different items. One at a time, residents reach into the bag and pull an item out.

“It’s very simple, but they’re getting the touch. It may be something that has a scent to it, so they can smell it,” says Mazzuca.

When it comes to creating programs, staff members at Willows Estate will have group discussions to generate ideas, says Mazzuca. As a group, they will also evaluate the progress programs are making.

Mazzuca admits it can be a challenge creating programs for residents with cognitive impairment. One piece of advice she offers to activity staff is to be cautious about music programming for residents who are cognitively unwell. It must be remembered, she says, that often these residents have lost much of their hearing capabilities and the sound of music is reduced to a mumble.

“A lot of times we’re under the assumption that they all love music,” she says. “However, just by viewing a few of our residents at a music program, we find that, no, actually this program isn’t benefiting them because a few become agitated.”