Transforming Dementia Care Through Optimized Environments

A disease that impacts us all

You've likely heard the adage "getting old isn't for the faint of heart." For dementia patients experiencing memory loss and other symptoms of brain degeneration (e.g., confusion, sleep disturbance, personality changes, functional impairment, delusions, loss of self and independence, etc.), this maxim rings all too true.

Dementia doesn't just impact individual patients. The impact of the disease's progressive cognitive decline extends well beyond, touching families, caregivers and communities alike.

Most suffering from dementia will eventually require a higher level of care, whether via an assisted living facility, nursing home or specialized memory care unit. As the percentage of U.S. adults aged 65 and older steadily increases, the need for facilities capable of supporting this population will also rise.

Effective dementia care is not only resource-intensive in terms of care facility preparedness, but it also places a high burden on caregivers. Unfortunately, the demand for skilled neurologists, nurses, and in-home health and personal care aides is already projected to far exceed the needs of our aging population, particularly in more rural areas of the country.

The impact of "living environment" on dementia care outcomes

One of the world's top hospitals recognized that the living environment of their dementia patients could significantly impact health and well-being. To that end, the hospital embarked on a clinical trial that involved redesigning and retrofitting an existing memory care unit to improve dementia care outcomes, blending scientific evidence, clinical practice in geriatric medicine and the latest technology in the process.

Not only was the hospital's goal to improve the experience for patients, caregivers and families, but also to bring memory care into the future by optimizing the personal environment in a way that assisted with lost brain function and helped clinicians better understand how living spaces impact human behavior. If the trial proved successful, this new type of memory care space could scale into various dementia care environments (e.g., memory care units, nursing homes, assisted living, rehabilitation facilities, community centers, homes, etc.).

However, the hospital encountered significant technical challenges in enhancing its existing memory care unit to meet its clinical trial goals. The setup of its existing memory care unit was rudimentary, with limited technological integration. Additionally, there were administrative, cost and budgeting challenges that needed to be addressed to achieve the desired functional improvements and scalability.

Recognizing the need for an expert in both healthcare and technology, the hospital engaged World Wide Technology (WWT) for consulting guidance on the best course of action.

The best of healthcare and technology consulting services

With a history of delivering seamless, integrated and secure solutions where technology empowers every aspect of care delivery, WWT's healthcare team was delighted to consult on a comprehensive solution for the redesign of the hospital's memory care unit.

The question the team set out to answer was: "How might we use accessible, human-centered technology to connect memory care patients, care teams and families to joy and purpose during their loved one's twilight years?"

WWT's team — featuring a chief healthcare advisor, program leadership, product managers, creative directors and senior technical consultants — followed this high-level process, which started and ended with the needs of the user:

Baseline analysis: WWT conducted an in-depth analysis of the existing memory care unit, conducting on-site primary research with both potential and existing users to understand their needs and challenges.
Innovation workshops: Facilitated workshops with subject matter experts and medical practitioners to gather insights and requirements for the new design.
Prioritization framework: Synthesize learnings and requirements from the workshops.
Tech roadmapping: Built out a 24-month roadmap that aligned the product vision with technical milestones and testing.
Business case definition: Defined the business case and value of going to market.
Memory case site visit: Conducted primary moderated and unmoderated observational research at multiple memory care facilities.

Technical solution design

Based on the information gathered, WWT's interdisciplinary team turned to solution and business case development.

In this phase, we explored multiple solution options and developed a final recommendation for redesigning the memory care unit to meet the hospital's care goals. This process involved defining solution features and functions to optimize both return on investment and patient/family/caregiver outcomes, as well as creating a strategic roadmap for implementation.

WWT's proposed solution architecture consisted of a custom-built software application and a collection of modular and interoperable IoT hardware, featuring curated content displayed in the patient's room via a media player tied to a projector. A web interface would provide users with control over the content, enabling them to create tailored playlists of various media for patients based on a customized profile that highlights milestones in their lives. In addition to this central console and dashboard, the rest of the room would be retrofitted with automated blinds and circadian lighting.

To complement the technical solution, WWT consultants also delivered a three-stage plan mapping out detailed scopes for the proof-of-concept stage (four to six months), the pilot stage (six to eight months), and the launch stage (one to two years).

Financial and budgetary guidance

WWT's healthcare consultants not only provided technical and strategic guidance to the hospital, but we also helped the health system's innovation VC fund develop and validate a business plan to secure funding for the three-stage launch plan. This involved financial and budgetary planning that spanned a six-year scenario. Topics advised on included:

Target market: This included identifying a range of primary and secondary facilities that could benefit from these next-generation memory care units.
Cost model: This included identifying all costs related to sales staff, marketing expenses, custom support desks, product development and maintenance.
Revenue model: We helped identify different revenue streams, including a subscription model and a one-time setup fee.
Future projections: This involved identifying various options for financing.

Expected outcomes

The hospital's goals for the redesign project were to improve the quality of the patient experience, reduce the burden on the care team and enhance family involvement. The redesigned unit proposed by WWT aims to achieve this by creating a more engaging and supportive environment for individuals with dementia, featuring elements such as mood lighting, aromatherapy, and personalized content delivery through a headless CMS.

Once implemented, the benefits of the redesigned units will include:

Freeing up time for the care team with automated blinds and lighting in the rooms, along with customizable scheduling and reminder features for the projector system.
Promoting healthier sleep through relaxing screensavers and sounds.
Providing robust sensory input and emphasizing the purpose of the patient's life through music plus photos and videos of memories, family (children, grandchildren), hobbies, etc., all informed by the patient's loved ones.
Creating a stimulating environment through mood lighting, aromatherapy and screensavers.
Encouraging independence, social connection and physical activity through consistent reminders to join various activities in the facility.

By addressing a host of technical and fiscal challenges while delivering a comprehensive solution, WWT has played a key role in reimagining dementia care for this world-renowned hospital — moving from clinical-trial concept to execution, with a clear roadmap and business case supporting the implementation of our recommended solutions.

WWT looks forward to continuing to support the hospital as it seeks to enhance the dementia care experience for patients, caregivers and families, while bringing memory care into the future by optimizing personal living environments through advanced technology.