Validation of a Life Stories Methodologies in Long-Term Care Centres

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Envita Stories Methodology in Long-term care Centres for old adults: Collaborative intervention program in long-term care Centres for old adults between professionals, old adults, families and volunteers that aims to foster person-centered care and promote meaningful relationships through the digitization of life stories and life project methodologies in a timeline.

Contact Methodology in Long-term Care Centres for old adults: Professionals know and use Envita Stories Methodology but do not apply it directly with these people.

Study summary

The objective of the research is to validate a methodology for implementing narrative care, through the incorporation of people's biographies and life stories, in interventions in long-term care centres for older adults.

From a positivist perspective of gerontological intervention, priority will be given to the validation of quantitative methodologies with empirical support. The study will involve 378 users residing in Galician long-term care centres for older adults. At the theoretical level, there is a broad consensus among professionals and experts on the need to develop new methodologies that allow the personalization of long-term care care and facilitate the development and promotion of the life projects of the older persons through the provision of the support that a particular person needs. In addition, there is a large body of practical interventions that attempt to apply these postulates. However, there is a clear lack of research methodologies that provide robust scientific results and data to support and evaluate these new developments.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Cognitive status — Three assessments: (1) Baseline assesment: Month 1, (2) 1st follow-up assessment: between month 7 and month 10; and (3) 2nd follow-up assessment: between month 13 and month 16.
  Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is designed to assess mild cognitive dysfunction. This instrument examines the following skills: attention, concentration, executive functions (including the capacity for abstraction), memory, language, visuoconstructive abilities, calculation and orientation.
• Memory — Three assessments: (1) Baseline assesment: Month 1, (2) 1st follow-up assessment: between month 7 and month 10; and (3) 2nd follow-up assessment: between month 13 and month 16.
  Test of Memory Impairment (T@M). The Test of Memory Impairment (T@M) is a cognitive screening test, with a high discriminatory value for amnestic mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease among the general population. It consists of five sections: Immediate Memory, Temporal Orientation Memory, Semantic Remote Memory, Free Recall Memory and Cue Recall Memory
• Functional Status — Three assessments: (1) Baseline assesment: Month 1, (2) 1st follow-up assessment: between month 7 and month 10; and (3) 2nd follow-up assessment: between month 13 and month 16.
  Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale. It evaluates the daily functionality of the person by means of 8 items: ability to use the telephone, shopping, food preparation, housekeeping, laundry, use of means of transportation and responsibility regarding medication and administration of their finances.
• Affectivity and Emotions — Three assessments: (1) Baseline assesment: Month 1, (2) 1st follow-up assessment: between month 7 and month 10; and (3) 2nd follow-up assessment: between month 13 and month 16.
  PANAS questionnaire of positive and negative moods. This questionnaire allows to evaluate, separately, the positive (10 questions) and negative (10 questions) emotional experiences recently lived.
• Social network — Three assessments: (1) Baseline assesment: Month 1, (2) 1st follow-up assessment: between month 7 and month 10; and (3) 2nd follow-up assessment: between month 13 and month 16.
  OARS Social Resources Scale. It assesses the social network of the old adults.
• Loneliness — Three assessments: (1) Baseline assesment: Month 1, (2) 1st follow-up assessment: between month 7 and month 10; and (3) 2nd follow-up assessment: between month 13 and month 16.
  DeJong Loneliness Questionnaire. Assesses emotional loneliness, missing an intimate relationship, and social loneliness, missing a wider social network.
• Acceptance of Technology — Three assessments: (1) Baseline assesment: Month 1, (2) 1st follow-up assessment: between month 7 and month 10; and (3) 2nd follow-up assessment: between month 13 and month 16.
  d-hoc user experience questionnaire based on the Technology Acceptance Model (Nieto-Vietes et al., 2023)

Trial sites (2)