The Memory Care Experience Station Pilot
The “Station” pilot is an award-winning, large-scale, multi-sensory device for people living with advanced dementia in memory care. It began in 2019 as a program to prove the point that multi-sensory experiences improve outcomes. Tested and iterated over 190 times, the pilot continues to be in use at the commission site, Frank Residences in San Francisco.
Improving Quality of Life
This overview video from the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living (client site) paints a picture of how the pilot works.
Multi-sensory, Personalized and Social
The Station pilot uses immersive, multi-sensory experiences to engage cognitive functions, drawing on cutting-edge research in memory care and experience design. The Station hosts personalized, social, interactive experiences that leverage stimuli coordinated with customized content. It is designed engage and bring delight to people living with dementia to improve cognitive and emotional well-being. Installed in the client site (Frank Residences memory care wing), this innovation in psychosocial care continues to improve quality of life at the site.
Highlights
Two-time grant awardee from the Centre for Aging in Brain Health Innovation (CABHI)
FastCompany finalist in World Changing Ideas
SCAN Foundation Honorable Mention (a category created for us)
Leading Age California Innovation Finalist
Sephardic Foundation Grant
Invitation to contribute to the international Design Principles and Practices journal: Designing for people living with dementia: Multisensory immersion. Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal -- Annual Review
The pilot was developed and tested over nearly 200 sessions with staff and residents. We created a staff observation tool with service designer Andrea Moed. This tool continues to be in use.
Findings
Very Positive: 33%
Positive: 62%
Neutral: 3%
Negative: 2%
Key Collaborators
The residents and their loved ones at Frank Residences.
Scott Minneman, PhD served as the technical architect for the MCES. His extensive background in engineering design and emerging technology was instrumental in realizing the project's technical vision.
Hridae Walia contributed as a design researcher, created low-fidelity proof-of-concepts, and refined the user experience of the web-based app.
The Life Enrichment team at Frank Residences, particularly Illona Root-Chang and Daphne Valadez, played a vital role in the project.
An overview of the types of multisensory and custom content experiences along with social coupling, be it staff or loved ones. Images used with approval from the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living. All individuals depicted have been de-identified in accordance with facility policy.
Grouping multiple types of prompts fosters enrichment and enjoyment. Here, there is demonstration and mirroring. Images used with approval from the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living. All individuals depicted have been de-identified in accordance with facility policy.
For haptics, we developed a "rumble" foot pad that gives the residents a sense of vibration of the road. It's been effective at triggering muscle memory and greater engagement. It's also a useful tool for redirection of anxious behavior and boredom. It can be used with all themes, not only driving to provide added cues and stimulation. Images used with approval from the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living. All individuals depicted have been de-identified in accordance with facility policy.
We use familiar themes and make them multisensory alongside appropriate digital media. The objective is to give staff as many "engagement" levers as possible.
The Station pilot provides multisensory enjoyment for all. Images used with approval from the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living. All individuals depicted have been de-identified in accordance with facility policy.
The Station pilot gives family members of all ages a way to connect and have fun. Images used with approval from the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living. All individuals depicted have been de-identified in accordance with facility policy.