Pilot testing of the restorative care intervention for the cognitively impaired

Objective: The objective of this study was to test the feasibility and impact of a 2-tiered motivational intervention, the Restorative Care Intervention for the Cognitively Impaired (Res-Care-Cl), on nursing home residents with moderate to severe cognitive impairment. Design: Single-group repeated measures study Participants and Setting: Participants were 46 nursing home residents with moderate to severe cognitive impairment at a single nursing home designed for individuals with dementia. Measurements: Descriptive data, the Barthel Index, the Physical Activity Survey in Long-Term Care, actigraphy, the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (short form). Results:There was significant improvement in resident mood (F 3.26, P =.02) and behavioral symptoms (F = 3.21, P=.04), but no significant change in physical function (F = 0.897, P =.43) or overall reported physical activity (F = 0.931, P =.43). There was a significant decrease in physical activity measured by actigraphy in 35 participants (F = 4.93, P =.005). Conclusions: Restorative care interventions were feasible to implement, and demonstrated improvements in mood and behavior, when used with nursing home residents with moderate to severe cognitive impairment.