Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Oct 3;24(1):1178.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11464-4.

Implementing a new multidisciplinary, remote, dementia staff training program for Veterans affairs nursing homes

Nikita R Shirsat  1   2 , Jennifer Ann Lee  3   4 , Catherine Pham  3   4 , Matthew J Miller  3   4 , Margaret A Chesney  3   4 , Francesca M Nicosia  3   4 , Linda Chao  3   4 , Deborah E Barnes  5   6
Affiliations

Implementing a new multidisciplinary, remote, dementia staff training program for Veterans affairs nursing homes

Nikita R Shirsat et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Background: Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIÉ) is a group program for people living with dementia that combines movements to support daily function with present moment body awareness and social engagement that has been found to have physical, emotional, social, and cognitive benefits. The goal of this study was to develop and refine a PLIÉ remote training program for interdisciplinary Veterans Affairs (VA) nursing home staff members also known as community living center (CLC) staff.

Methods: This pre-implementation study used iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. The 10-week PDSA cycles occurred from June to September 2021 at 2 VA nursing home sites. Remote training was delivered via Microsoft Teams and included 1-hour live-streamed weekly didactic sessions (nursing staff with PLIÉ instructor) focused on PLIÉ principles and 1-hour weekly live-streamed experiential sessions for staff to apply PLIÉ principles with residents. We administered weekly feedback surveys to iteratively refine the training process.

Results: 14 staff members participated (5 recreation therapists, 3 social workers, 2 registered nurses, 2 chaplains, 1 psychologist, and 1 speech pathologist). The experiential sessions were rated as most helpful overall. Key PDSA refinements included: (1) creating 10-minute video recording summaries to support learning, particularly for those unable to attend live training sessions due to clinical schedules; and (2) incorporating self-reflection and goal setting to support staff incorporation of PLIÉ principles into routine care and personal life. These refinements resulted in increased use of PLIÉ principles with the residents from 67 to 89% of the staff participants. 100% of regular attendees (11/11) rated their overall satisfaction with remote training as "very good" or "excellent."

Conclusions: It was feasible to train interdisciplinary CLC staff participants to deliver an integrative group movement program for residents with dementia remotely. PDSA cycles supported refinement of the training process and improved uptake. A larger study of PLIÉ remote CLC staff training is needed to assess outcomes on residents and quality of care.

Keywords: Dementia; Exercise; Movement therapy; Nursing homes; PDSA cycles; Quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Barnes and Dr. Chesney are co-inventors of Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIÉ) and have potential to earn royalties. Dr. Barnes is also co-founder, stockholder, and Chief Science Advisor for Together Senior Health, which is commercializing an online version of PLIÉ called Moving Together. Jennifer Ann Lee is a part-time employee with Together Senior Health. The authors declare no other competing interests.

References

    1. Gaugler J, James B, Johnson T, et al. 2022 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement. 2022;18(4):700–89. - PubMed
    1. Forbes D, Forbes SC, Blake CM, Thiessen EJ, Forbes S. Exercise programs for people with dementia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev Apr. 2015;15(4):CD006489. 10.1002/14651858.CD006489.pub4. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aguirre E, Woods RT, Spector A, Orrell M. Cognitive stimulation for dementia: a systematic review of the evidence of effectiveness from randomised controlled trials. Ageing Res Rev Jan. 2013;12(1):253–62. 10.1016/j.arr.2012.07.001. - PubMed
    1. Ueda T, Suzukamo Y, Sato M, Izumi S. Effects of music therapy on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev Mar. 2013;12(2):628–41. 10.1016/j.arr.2013.02.003. - PubMed
    1. Olenick M, Flowers M, Diaz VJ. US veterans and their unique issues: enhancing health care professional awareness. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2015:635–9. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources