Virtual Training in Interaction based on Affective Memory among Elders with Dementia

This project seeks to use new computer technology to reduce distress among persons with Alzheimer’s disease by improving the interactions they have with professional care providers. People with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) lose cognitive memory but retain affective (emotional) memory; despite not remembering details about their lives, they still feel like themselves, and continue to act and react on that basis. The resident’s affective memory is built out of a rich history of experiences and interactions with others important to them. Residential care staff are not familiar with that personal history, especially with new residents, and residents may lack the ability to communicate the needed information. Interacting with a resident in a way that conflicts with his or her self-perception (e.g., treating a former military officer as a patient) is likely to create confusion, frustration and dismay and may spark agitation or outbursts. Repeated unsuccessful interactions may even wear down the resident’s stamina, leaving him or her apathetic or depressed. Such reactions often result in the use of psychotropic medication to relieve the resident’s distress. This project will report on the impact of a virtual interaction guide that trains care providers to interact with persons with Alzheimer’s based on that person’s affective, rather than cognitive memory. This new technology has potential to significantly reduce reliance on psychotropic medication and improve the well-being of people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias in residential care.