Uniting NSW.ACT and Moove & Groove Personalising Experience Through Silent Discos
Traditionally, residential aged care homes have been synonymous with one-size-fits-all engagement activities, which might be of interest to only some residents.
In particular, those with dementia or other congitive impairment are usually left on the outer, further isolated from social interaction and participation in life. With a shift towards person-centred care, providers are looking for ways they can be respectful of, and responsive to, the preferences, needs and values of individuals.
Moove & Groove Program
The Moove & Groove Program provides meaningful and engaging audio and visual experiences for seniors using silent disco technology. The program is currently being delivered in more than 120 aged care homes across Australia and New Zealand, with 958 staff trained and over 10,500 participants.
It runs on a web-based platform and uses silent disco headphones to deliver the selected audio or visual experience to the user, meaning everyone can have a private experience, while also sharing it with others.
There are currently over 30 languages available.
Person-centred care
Moove & Groove has helped to revolutionise the way lifestyle is being delivered in an aged care setting, moving from traditional group activities to more individualised programs consistent with a person-centred model of care.
Rather than being directed by staff, it is directed by individuals, who indicate their preferences and interests, including requests for spiritual or cultural content, and content in other languages. It can even emulate the audio and visual experiences from times in history, to emulate a person’s youth.
Personal preferences are recorded on Moove & Groove’s easy-to-use digital forms. Staff are trained to select audio and visual options specifically matched to the individual, and the personal preference information can be collated to identify multiple residents with the same interests to then create a shared experience.
Positive impact at Uniting NSW ACT
In 2020, Uniting NSW.ACT engaged Moove & Groove to implement the program across its 63 residential aged care homes, and an ongoing research partnership was established between Uniting and the Australian Catholic University to assess its impact.
Early analysis of staff surveys suggests a correlation between the use of Moove & Groove and a positive impact on dementia-related behaviours, including vocal disruption (80%), agitation (73%), pacing (70%) and apathy (70%).
Around 65% of staff who participated in the research said they believe that the benefits of Moove & Groove could lead to a reduction in the use of psychotropic medications.
Staff engagement
All staff are given training to deliver reminiscing and ‘music as therapy’ through Moove & Groove, so they can provide residents with a personalised engagement experience. Care staff can also actively participate alongside residents, and this shared experience and deeper knowledge of people, can help form deeper carer-resident relationships.
This is consistent with Uniting’s ‘Household Model’ that encourages all staff to play a role in the social and spiritual wellbeing of each resident, by getting to know them as a person.
As a result of Moove & Groove, 80% of staff surveyed said that the silent disco technology had given them a vehicle for connection with residents in many different ways.
More information
https://www.mooveandgroove.com.au/
https://www.uniting.org/
The Moove & Groove Program with Uniting NSW ACT was a Finalist in the innovAGEING Improving Consumer Choice Award 2020.