Multimedia website to help caring for Alzheimer’s
In response to the mounting public health challenge of Alzheimer’s disease, experts at Weill Cornell Medical College have spent four years creating ThisCaringHome.org, an interactive, multimedia website for caregivers of Alzheimer’s and other dementia patients.
The website, helps caregivers learn strategies to better care for people with dementia, especially how to adapt the home environment to meet the behavioral and physical needs of people with Alzheimer’s.
Created by Rosemary Bakker, research associate in gerontologic design in medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at Weill Cornell Medical College, the site features videos, animations and photographs, as well as expert reviews of home furnishings and smart technologies.
While much has been written about Alzheimer’s, this graphics-rich interactive website shows how best to adapt a home for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, enhancing the individual’s safety and independence.
The 3-D animations, videos and written content illustrate the complex process of changing the home to match the stage of the patient’s disease. A social networking component enables caregivers to share information, ask questions, and find support from the online caregiver community.
The website takes visitors on a “virtual” visit through every room of a house, demonstrating in detail how to deal with issues that might arise in the kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom.
Best practices for safe bathing, how to install stove turn-off devices and timers, what lighting is necessary to soothe an agitated person, and what to look for in a door monitoring device, among many other subjects, are addressed.
Other sections include tips for reducing agitated behaviors and improving quality of life for those with dementia, such as playing favorite old songs, receiving an aromatherapy massage, and playing with a docile pet.
ThisCaringHome.org is geared toward family caregivers.
