LeadingAge to study how person-centered care affects depression, dementia

The LeadingAge Center for Applied Research (CFAR) is partnering with the N.J.-based Francis E. Parker Memorial Home and a team from the Rutgers University Public Health to study how the person-centered care delivery model affects the outcomes for residents diagnosed with dementia and/or depression.

No term has been pursued more robustly in the past two years than “person-centered care.” But does it really make a quality of life difference for certain residents? The study hopes to assess whether a person-centered care delivery system helps improve outcomes and quality of life for residents with these conditions, especially for those who live in a “household model” setting rather than a traditional nursing home setting.

The 18-month study will evaluate three Parker sites—Parker at River Road, Parker at Monroe (the home using the household model), and a third, unnamed “control” home—in its initial evaluation data pool.

“As person-centered care and the household model grow in popularity among U.S. nursing homes, it’s important to make sure the benefits outweigh the implementation costs,” said Dr. Linda Hermer, senior research scientist at CFAR, in a LeadingAge press release. “By evaluating these three nursing homes that have adopted culture change, including one that uses the household model, LeadingAge aims to fill that evidence gap.”

The Francis E. Parker Memorial home is funding the study, which will conclude in late 2016. “With [this project], we have the opportunity to validate a long-held believe that delivering person-center care in a homelike environment can provide residents with optimal outcomes and quality of life,” said Gloria Zayanskosky, chief quality and community services officer at Parker Memorial Home. “We look forward to sharing the results with our colleagues in the field, so that we all might improve care and services for our elders.”


Topics: Alzheimer's/Dementia , Executive Leadership , Leadership