ME

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ME U-FIRST! AN ONLINE EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR
CAREGIVERS

• In-service Education Training
• Maureen OConnell Valerie Powell
• Psychogeriatric Resource Consultants (PRC),
  Ontario

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• The presenters are both members of the core group
  who worked on this project as PRCs and members of
  the Simcoe County Dementia Network.
• The Simcoe County Dementia Network applied for
  and received a sustainability grant (151,840)
  from Ontarios Post-Alzheimer Strategy Staff
  Education Committee.

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Our purpose today

• To introduce
• a flexible and user-friendly internet-based
  education program designed specifically for
  Personal Support Workers.
• a process evaluation of the development of this
  product.
• an initial outcome evaluation.

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Process Evaluation/History of Project

• Identify need - PSW Feedback
• Acquired funding partnerships Post-Alzheimer
  Strategy Staff Education Committee grant, CCAC
• Human resources in place staff, core group
  advisory committee
• Contracted web company
• Ongoing feedback Focus groups, surveys, meetings
  
• Developed product
• Tested product
• Developed survey for evaluation
• Launched modules
• Market program
• Outcome Evaluation

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How did it start?

• Developed as a result of Personal Support Worker
  discussion groups conducted by the Simcoe County
  Dementia Network (SCDN) in 2004.
• 48 participants in 6 discussion groups
• 29 LTC
• 22 Community Agencies
• 2 Psychiatric Facilities

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Discussion Groups Key Questions

• In your program (HCA/PSW)what information (or
  training) about dementia did you receive?
• What were the challenges that you ran into in
  caring for persons with dementia? What problems
  did you come up against?
• What, or who, helped you to manage these
  situations?
• Is there anything that would help you now in your
  job (to be more effective)?
• What would you would like to see put into a
  "package" for all staff who are becoming involved
  in dementia care?
• Full report at www.dementianetworksc.org
• Funding received in 2005 with expectation that
  the Me U-First! products would be useful across
  the province.

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What is Me U-First?

• A two-part project designed to build on and
  sustain the P.I.E.C.E.S.TM and U-First!
  initiatives.
• Overall Goal Using U-First! every Person with
  dementia will have an improved quality of life as
  a result of increased understanding and improved
  communications between Partners in Care.
• The Me reflects the personal use of U-First! by
  front-line workers.

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Me U-First! - 2 Components

• 1) Me U-First! ... Understand me, a
  Person with dementia.
• Eight module E-learning series for front-line
  workers
• Launched October, 2006
• 2)They say I have dementia.
• and some days I believe it.
• My Guide for Living with Dementia
• Communication and care planning tool for Persons
  with dementia to use with their Partners in Care.
• Expected launch January, 2008

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Human Resources

• Dementia Network Steering Committee recruited
  additional key stakeholders to act as an Advisory
  Committee to the project.
• Core Curriculum Team 5 people including the
  proposal authors, project leader, Dementia
  Network co-chairs and PRCs
• Administration Project leader and administrative
  assistant
• Partnerships Simcoe County CCAC provided office
  space and technology support
• Contracted service web education design company

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Key Decision Making Process Ongoing review and
revision

• ongoing feedback through focus groups, surveys,
  and meetings
• continuous review and revision to
• develop initial concepts and goals
• verify available technical solutions,
  possibilities
• decide on key elements / writing content
• tested product- think aloud protocol

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Key Elements of Me U-First!

• Web-based program to enable individualized access
  and pace of learning - potential to reach a
  larger number of front-line care providers on
  ongoing basis
• Designed for dial-up service.
• Animated characters and photos rather than video
• Short narration per slide
• Format and content to reinforce the use of the
  U-First! program and therefore the P.I.E.C.E.S.TM
  model
• U-First! wheel to be embedded within the web site
• Repetition of U-First! concepts and language
• P.I.E.C.E.S. chart - filled in throughout
  modules
• Virtual model replicates the real method used by
  Psychogeriatric Resource Consultants

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U-First! P.I.E.C.E.S.TM

• Understand the Person with dementia and their
• Physical well-being
• Intellectual well-being
• Emotional well-being
• Capabilities
• Environment
• Social History

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U-First! contd

• Understand the Person with dementia
• Flag changes
• Interact successfully
• Reflect on interactions and Report
• Support strengths
• Reinforce the Team

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Final Product

• Me U-First! ... Understand me, a Person with
  dementia.Eight module E-learning series for
  front-line care providers
• Module 1 Overview
• Modules 2-7 focus on each component of
  P.I.E.C.E.S. TM
• Module 8 Wrap-up and link
• to resources
• Certificate upon completion

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Features

• P.I.E.C.E.S. TM charts for each of the 2 animated
  characters. These are filled in throughout the
  modules so that participants complete 2 full
  charts by Module 8.
• Notes pages for each module capture the
  participants thoughts and key points as they go
  through the modules.

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Me U-First! Demonstration

• Sample from Module 3 Intellectual
• Consistent format
• Common initial slides
• Learning objectives
• U-First! concepts
• Application of U-First! as summary
• Narration and written info
• Example with Mimi and Joe
• P.I.E.C.E.S.TM chart
• Access to U-First! wheel

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Final Stage of the Process

• Launched modules in Simcoe County October, 2006
• Web launch in December, 2006
• Marketing Me U-First! initial blitz, promoted
  locally and provincially through newsletters,
  e-mails, demonstrations and presentations at
  workshops, conferences, and videoconference
• Summative/Outcome Evaluation

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Process Evaluation A Few Identified
Challenges

• Inconsistent communication with project leader
• Technical support for off-site project leader
• Complexity of e-learning
• Meeting deadlines (of contracted agency)
• Time commitment of core group
• Maintaining momentum
• Utilization of volunteers
• Unrealistic time line. 6 month project extended
  over one year.

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Summative Evaluation

• measurable objectives- developed by evaluation
  committee
• questionnaire to measure objectives- developed
  tested by York U. Nursing students
• questionnaire pre post test data processed
  for Outcome Evaluation

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Measurable Objectives

• To improve the quality of the interaction between
  the formal care provider and the Person living
  with AD RD through
• ?increased confidence
• ?improved attitude
• ?increased understanding of the Person
  with dementia
• ?awareness of U-First

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Questionnaire

• 19 questions
• most were 5 point Likert-type scale
• 3 demographic
• 3 qualitative
• Before modules launched -tested for validity and
  reliability by York students This pilot test
  found that PSWs were open to computer learning,
  however access to computers and internet service
  was difficult
• When project launched collected 31 pre
  questionnaires and recently collected 37 post
  questionnaires
• Copy at www.dementianetworksc.org

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Outcomes

• Looking at questions that addressed
• confidence
• attitude
• understanding of the Person with dementia
• awareness of U-First
• Findings overall, there was no significant
  change in confidence and attitude and
  understanding, with high mean scores both pre and
  post.
• Use of U-First! went from low to high in LTC
  sector
• Of interest is that when the variables were
  separated into years worked as PSW, the longer
  they had worked, in the 10-20 yr and 20 groups-
  levels of confidence, satisfaction, attitude,
  knowing the Person all declined from Very high to
  High.

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Qualitative Responses

• Pre
• Better understanding of dementia, behaviours,
  and how to deal with them
• Allow more time with resident 1 on 1
• Having more time to spend with residents. Not
  having to rush to do care, etc.
• Post
• Having more information on their background ,
  when they came to live at our facility, where
  they are born, work, etc.
• Communication with other team members. Also
  learning from others experiences

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Product Report from OCSA

• Report June 14/07
• Number of Participants Enrolled 869
• 52 work in LTC Homes, 40 in community agencies
• 75 of participants are taking the course from
  office, 25 from their home
• Between 85 and 93 rated modules 2 to 8 either
  extremely useful or very useful
• Module 1 received those ratings by only 67

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Me U-First!

• Potential uses
• Orientation tool
• New employees
• Employees who are new to a dementia specific unit
• Continuing education tool
• Part of annual in servicing
• Drop in lunch and learn
• Employer support

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Me U-First! How to Access

• www.u-first.ca
• Web-site is maintained by the Ontario Community
  Support Association (OCSA)
• OCSA also has the mandate to deliver U-First! in
  Ontario.
• Modules are free but must register first time
• Certificate will be supplied on completion of
  modules
• CD of modules is available for a cost of 25.

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Me U-First! Second component

• Program has two distinct components, both
  designed to build on and sustain the
  P.I.E.C.E.S.TM and U-First! initiatives
• 1) Me U-First! ... Understand me, a
  Person with dementia.
• Eight module E-learning series for front-line
  care providers
• 2)They say I have dementia.
• and some days I believe it.
• My Guide for Living with Dementia

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Comments and Questions!

• Thank you!
• Maureen OConnell
• oconnellm_at_cgmh.on.ca
• 705-721-6764
• Valerie Powell
• powellv_at_cgmh.on.ca
• 705-721-6754