Pilot Program Using Remote Technology to Manage Dementia

Under the Innovative Care in Alzheimer's Research pilot program at the Lambeth House retirement community in New Orleans, 16 memory care unit residents will spend a year having various aspects of their lives measured via remote technology, reports New Orleans City Business . The project will use telehealth to study participants' mortality rate, neuropsychiatric and behavioral symptoms, quality of life, activity engagement, staff and family caregiving burden, clinical health status, and healthcare utilization. Residents will receive iPads and FitBits to monitor sleep and movements. Once every month, they will participate in a remote telehealth visit with Ochsner Health System neuropsychologists on their iPad. "Routine is critically important for persons with dementia and other neurological diseases," says Ochsner's Robert John Sawyer. "Even something as seemingly simple as leaving the community to go to a doctor's appointment can result in unnecessary confusion and stress for a resident. By leveraging telehealth, this partnership enables Ochsner to bring high-quality neurological care to these residents in a familiar setting."