Getting Started
The purpose of this guidebook is to support your community in integrating the use of IPPI Activities Into your community’s care delivery process. The guidance provided comes from the collective experience of the Preference Based Living team, as well as from nursing home providers who contributed to the development and testing of the IPPI Intervention. The guidebook explains in detail the various steps in each phase of the project, addresses common barriers to implementing the IPPI, and provides successful strategies learned from other provider communities who have implemented the tool. However, no two communities are the same. This guidebook serves as the foundation for creating an implementation plan that is best suited for the unique needs and workflow of your community. Molly, the project manager, will work with you to create a plan that works best for your community and support you throughout the implementation process.
Person-centered care
Person-centered care (PCC) is a philosophy that recognizes “knowing the person” and honoring individual preferences by promoting choice, purpose, and meaning in daily life (Koren, 2010). Instead of treating the person as a collection of symptoms to be controlled, person-centered care considers the whole person, taking into account each individual’s unique qualities, abilities, interests, preferences and needs (Alzheimer’s Society). Understanding an older adult’s preferences is a cornerstone for person centered care.
It can be difficult to understand the unique needs and preferences to customize care for residents with dementia because they often cannot articulate their needs and preferences. The focus of the Individualized Positive Psychosocial Interventions (IPPIs) is to provide positive interactions for residents with dementia.
What is an Individualized Positive Psychosocial Intervention (IPPI)?
IPPIs are brief, 1o minute guided interventions that promote person-centered care. IPPIs are specifically designed for a person living with dementia. After identifying their most important preferences for leisure and personal care using a preference interview (i.e., PELI or MDS Section F), the IPPI provides guidance for a 10 minute positive interaction that is aligned with the resident’s important preferences. IPPIS are administered by the direct care workers and used in addition to other recreation and personal care services that are already provided as part of the standard daily care. Each IPPI activity has a corresponding set of instructions that consists of an introduction, middle, and conclusion section, all self-contained in an IPPI tool kit.
The IPPI is an evidence-based intervention that helps direct care workers understand aspects of communication with persons living with dementia, with the goal of increasing positive interactions (Van Haitsma et al., 2015).
Benefits of IPPIs
This quality improvement project has benefits for care community staff and residents. IPPIs empower staff in providing person-centered care and better managing the well-being of residents who are experiencing behaviors and psychological stress associated with dementia. Staff who participate in IPPIs will receive the virtual coaching and on-demand support needed to implement person-centered care for their residents.
For residents, IPPIs provide an easy tool to provide an approach to care that focuses on making everyday tasks into positive interactions for them, because residents are not successful at other opportunities for positive interactions. Such positive interactions have been found to reduce resistance to care and increase mood for both the resident and DCW. IPPIs promote more personalized care and prompt meaningful conversations between staff, volunteers and community members, contributing to greater interconnectedness.
It is the hope that by providing preference-based IPPIs, you will see an increase in satisfaction and therefore, it has the potential to decrease areas of dissatisfaction which use up employee’s time to resolve.