Supporting resident engagement via web-based assessment system: experience of activity professionals from long-term care settings

Abstract

ABSTRACT Loneliness, depression, and social isolation are observed among residents in long-term care settings. Activity professionals can help prevent this by encouraging residents and providing them with opportunities to be more active during daily life. Questionnaires measuring the extent to which activity professionals design and implement activities among residents are lacking. In addition, there are no measurement instruments to gain insight into activity professionals work performance. A web-based assessment system, ‘Elder Engagement Performance Improvement (EEPI),’ has the potential to help activity professionals support resident engagement. This study explored long-term care activity professionals’ experiences in using the EEPI assessment.Semi-structured interviews with 23 long-term care activity professionals (e.g. certified activities directors, therapeutic recreation specialists, life enrichment directors, and life engagement directors) were conducted and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Activity professionals` experiences showed the EEPI was a means of improving the performance of activity professionals by increasing residents’ engagement both in quality and quantity. Four main themes emerged from this explorative investigation: (a) Lack of assessment tools, (b) Acceptance of the web-based assessment system, (c) Barriers to using the EEPI (time, staffing issues, and lack of management support), and (d) Areas for job improvement (person-centered activities and engagement).The EEPI may serve as a valuable tool in long-term care settings for activity professionals. The web-based assessment system, EEPI, facilitated activity professionals’ daily work and involved the residents’ interests in their activities, which may enhance resident engagement and reduce the risk of social isolation in long-term care facilities.