ME & U-FIRST!: AN ONLINE EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR CAREGIVERS

In-service Education & Training

Maureen O’Connell & Valerie Powell

Psychogeriatric Resource Consultants (PRC), Ontario

The presenters are both members of the core group who worked on this project as PRCs and members of the Simcoe County Dementia Network.

The Simcoe County Dementia Network applied for and received a sustainability grant ($151,840) from Ontario’s Post-Alzheimer Strategy Staff Education Committee.

Our purpose today

To introduce: a flexible and user-friendly internet-

based education program designed specifically for Personal Support Workers.

a process evaluation of the development of this product.

an initial outcome evaluation.

Process Evaluation/History of Project

Identify need - PSW Feedback Acquired funding & partnerships – Post-Alzheimer

Strategy Staff Education Committee grant, CCAC Human resources in place – staff, core group & advisory

committee Contracted web company Ongoing feedback: Focus groups, surveys, meetings Developed product Tested product Developed survey for evaluation Launched modules Market program Outcome Evaluation

How did it start?

Developed as a result of Personal Support Worker discussion groups conducted by the Simcoe County Dementia Network (SCDN) in 2004.

48 participants in 6 discussion groups29 LTC22 Community Agencies2 Psychiatric Facilities

Discussion Groups – Key Questions

In your program (HCA/PSW)…what information (or training) about dementia did you receive?

What were the challenges that you ran into in caring for persons with dementia? What problems did you come up against?

What, or who, helped you to manage these situations?

Is there anything that would help you now in your job (to be more effective)?

What would you would like to see put into a "package" for all staff who are becoming involved in dementia care?

Full report at www.dementianetworksc.org Funding received in 2005 with expectation

that the Me & U-First! products would be useful across the province.

What is Me & U-First?

A two-part project designed to build on and sustain the P.I.E.C.E.S.TM and U-First! initiatives.

Overall Goal: Using U-First! every Person with dementia will have an improved quality of life as a result of increased understanding and improved communications between Partners in Care.

The ‘Me’ reflects the personal use of U-First! by front-line workers.

Me & U-First! - 2 Components

1) “Me & U-First! …... Understand me, a Person with dementia.”

Eight module E-learning series for front-line workers

Launched October, 2006

2)“They say I have dementia……. and some days I believe it.”

My Guide for Living with Dementia Communication and care planning tool for Persons

with dementia to use with their Partners in Care. Expected launch – January, 2008

Human Resources

Dementia Network Steering Committee: recruited additional key stakeholders to act as an Advisory Committee to the project.

Core Curriculum Team: 5 people including the proposal authors, project leader, Dementia Network co-chairs and PRCs

Administration: Project leader and administrative assistant

Partnerships: Simcoe County CCAC provided office space and technology support

Contracted service: web education design company

Key Decision Making Process: Ongoing review and revision

ongoing feedback through focus groups, surveys, and meetings

continuous review and revision to:develop initial concepts and goalsverify available technical solutions,

possibilitiesdecide on key elements / writing content

tested product- ‘think aloud protocol’

Key Elements of Me & U-First!

Web-based program to enable individualized access and pace of learning - potential to reach a larger number of front-line care providers on ongoing basis

Designed for dial-up service. Animated characters and photos rather than video Short narration per slide

Format and content to reinforce the use of the U-First! program and therefore the P.I.E.C.E.S.TM model U-First! wheel to be embedded within the web site Repetition of U-First! concepts and language P.I.E.C.E.S. chart - filled in throughout modules

Virtual model replicates the real method used by Psychogeriatric Resource Consultants

U-First! & P.I.E.C.E.S.TM

Understand the Person with dementia and their:

Physical well-beingIntellectual well-beingEmotional well-beingCapabilitiesEnvironmentSocial History

U-First! cont’d

Understand the Person with dementia

Flag changes

Interact successfully

Reflect on interactions and Report

Support strengths

Reinforce the Team

Final Product

“Me & U-First! …... Understand me, a Person with dementia.”Eight module E-learning series for front-line care providers

Module 1 – OverviewModules 2-7 – focus on each component

of P.I.E.C.E.S. TM

Module 8 – Wrap-up and link

to resourcesCertificate upon completion

Features

P.I.E.C.E.S. TM charts for each of the 2 animated characters. These are filled in throughout the modules so that participants complete 2 full charts by Module 8.

Notes pages for each module capture the participants thoughts and key points as they go through the modules.

Me & U-First! Demonstration

Sample from Module 3 – Intellectual

Consistent format Common initial slides

Learning objectives U-First! concepts

Application of U-First! as summary Narration and written info Example with Mimi and Joe P.I.E.C.E.S.TM chart Access to U-First! wheel

Final Stage of the Process

Launched modules in Simcoe County – October, 2006

Web launch in December, 2006Marketing Me & U-First!– initial blitz,

promoted locally and provincially through newsletters, e-mails, demonstrations and presentations at workshops, conferences, and videoconference

Summative/Outcome Evaluation

Process Evaluation: A Few Identified Challenges

Inconsistent communication with project leader Technical support for off-site project leader Complexity of e-learning Meeting deadlines (of contracted agency) Time commitment of core group Maintaining momentum Utilization of volunteers Unrealistic time line. 6 month project

extended over one year.

Summative Evaluation:

measurable objectives- developed by evaluation committee

questionnaire to measure objectives- developed & tested by York U. Nursing students

questionnaire – pre & post test data processed for Outcome Evaluation

Measurable Objectives

To improve the quality of the interaction between the formal care provider and the Person living with AD & RD through

↑increased confidence ↑improved attitude ↑increased understanding of

the Person with dementia ↑awareness of U-First

Questionnaire

19 questions – most were 5 point Likert-type scale 3 demographic 3 qualitative

Before modules launched -tested for validity and reliability by York students – This pilot test found that PSWs were open to computer learning, however access to computers and internet service was difficult

When project launched – collected 31 pre questionnaires and recently collected 37 post questionnaires

Copy at www.dementianetworksc.org

Outcomes

Looking at questions that addressed confidence attitude understanding of the Person with dementia awareness of U-First

Findings: overall, there was no significant change in confidence and attitude and understanding, with high mean scores both pre and post.

Use of U-First! went from low to high in LTC sector Of interest is that when the variables were separated

into years worked as PSW, the longer they had worked, in the 10-20 yr and 20+ groups- levels of confidence, satisfaction, attitude, & knowing the Person all declined from Very high to High.

Qualitative Responses

Pre “Better understanding of dementia, behaviours, and

how to deal with them” “Allow more time with resident 1 on 1” “Having more time to spend with residents. Not having

to rush to do care, etc.” Post “Having more information on their background , when

they came to live at our facility, where they are born, work, etc.”

“Communication with other team members. Also learning from others’ experiences”

Product Report from OCSA

Report June 14/07

Number of Participants Enrolled– 869 52% work in LTC Homes, 40% in community

agencies 75% of participants are taking the course from

office, 25% from their home Between 85% and 93% rated modules 2 to 8

either extremely useful or very useful Module 1 received those ratings by only 67%

Me & U-First!

Potential usesOrientation tool

New employeesEmployees who are new to a dementia

specific unitContinuing education tool

Part of annual in servicingDrop in ‘lunch and learn’

Employer support

Me & U-First! How to Access

www.u-first.ca

Web-site is maintained by the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA)

OCSA also has the mandate to deliver U-First! in Ontario.

Modules are free but must register first time Certificate will be supplied on completion of

modules CD of modules is available for a cost of $25.

Me & U-First! Second component

Program has two distinct components, both designed to build on and sustain the P.I.E.C.E.S.TM and U-First! initiatives

1) “Me & U-First! …... Understand me, a Person with dementia.”

Eight module E-learning series for front-line care providers

2)“They say I have dementia……. and some days I believe it.”

My Guide for Living with Dementia

Comments and Questions!

Thank you!Maureen O’Connelloconnellm@cgmh.on.ca 705-721-6764Valerie Powellpowellv@cgmh.on.ca 705-721-6754