Connecting Today to Combat Social Isolation and Loneliness: An Evaluation of a Remote Visiting Program for Care Home Residents Living With Dementia
The investigators developed Connecting Today, a feasible and highly acceptable remote visiting program that can support care home residents living with moderate to severe dementia to have video calls with their family members, friends, or care partners. The investigators will recruit 80 residents from 4 care homes, and their family members, friends, or care partners. All participants will be offered 60 minutes of Connecting Today per week for 6 weeks (in either the intervention group, or in the wait-list control group). An onsite care provider will be trained to tailor the video calls, and facilitate positive verbal and non-verbal engagement during the calls. The investigators will evaluate how Connecting Today affects outcomes for residents (quality of life, loneliness, and responsive behaviours) and their remote visitors (quality of life, loneliness, and social support). The investigators will assess how outcomes differ for men, women, and people with different perceptions and experiences of Connecting Today.
⁃ Residents:
• are at least 65 years old
• are diagnosed with any type of dementia
• have a Cognitive Performance Score (CPS) indicating moderate to severe impairment (CPS 3-6).
• to participate, residents must also have people that self identify as a family member or friend of the person with dementia.
⁃ Remote visitors:
• are people that self-identify as a family member or friend of the person with dementia
• are people with whom the person with dementia desires contact
• are 18 or older
• understand and speak English.