The effect of multi-sensory environment on patients with dementia

Abstract

Overview of the Topic: Dementia is one of the leading causes of cognitive decline and disability in elderly patients. According to the data presented in recent years, dementia is likely to increase to 2.3% of the total Maltese population in the coming years. A non-pharmacological approach known as the Multi-Sensory Stimulation Environment has been found to improve the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and improve the quality of life (QoL) of the patients; The aim of this dissertation is to identify the effectiveness of MSSE to improve the life of patients by reducing BPSD. Research Question: Do persons with dementia living in a long-term facility with a multi-sensory room have a better behavioural improvement compared to elderly patients with dementia who live in a long-term facility which provides standard care? PICO Elements: The target population (P) are elderly patients suffering from dementia. The intervention (I) proposed is the implementation of a Multi-Sensory Environment for the elderly to reside in, whilst the comparison (C) was that of elderly patients with dementia who are receiving standard care. The expected outcome (O) is to identify the improvement of the patient's behaviour. Method: A literature search was conducted with the use of different databases. The keywords of the PICO question were extracted and used the key terms in a Boolean operator. A set of limiters were applied together with the keywords used in the Boolean operator, this aided in the narrowing down of the data available. The databases used in this dissertation are HyDi, SAGE Journals, CINHAL Complete, ProQuest Central, BioMed Central, BMJ Journals, Google Scholar, and PubMed Central. These databases were accessed during the search for articles relevant to the PICO question. Inclusion and Exclusion criteria were used to assess whether the articles are eligible or not, the inclusion and exclusion criteria define different characteristics that the prospective study includes, such as; Gender, Age and Stages of the disease. The articles were critically appraised using a CASP Tool to evaluate the validity of the articles used. Results: A total of 5 articles were selected, Systematic reviews (SR)s and 2 Random controlled trials (RCT). The significance of the implemented intervention was seen in the reduction of BPSD in patients with dementia, more research is required for clearer results. Implications & Recommendations: Further studies are proposed due to the lack of statistical results on the effect of MSSR on dementia patients both locally and internationally. The local hospitals need to take into consideration the intervention of MSSE and provide the healthcare workers and the people in the community with more knowledge on the importance of MSSE intervention to manage the behaviour of dementia patients. However further research is still needed with regards to the effectiveness of this intervention and the long-term effects of it.