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What does it feel like to provide senior friendly care?
Can you imagine learning CPR without using a manikin, or learning how to respond to a code blue without a simulation exercise? These are examples of experiential learning, where you practice new skills and apply knowledge in a controlled environment, so you know how it might feel when the situation happens in real life. Hospitals are also applying this style of learning to a variety of topics so that healthcare providers can experience what it feels like to provide senior friendly care.
Here are 3 great examples you might want to try:
1 Seniors simulation room - The Senior Friendly Team at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre created a “seniors simulation room contest” – a memorable and interactive experience for staff during seniors month. Interprofessional teams of 4 were invited to sign up for the contest, where they would spend 20 minutes in a simulation room working through a series of dynamic and educational activities, which focused on:
- Person-centered language
- Delirium identification and management
- Creating dementia-friendly spaces
- Managing responsive behaviors
The contest teams were representative of many of the roles providing care to older adults, such as clinicians, volunteers, and personal support workers. Each role brought a different lens to the strategies, reinforcing the idea that senior friendly care is everyone’s responsibility. Learn how they did this:
2 Delirium cafes - A hospital in Finland used “delirium cafes” in postgraduate medical teaching to improve delirium care and to bring awareness to delirium on World Delirium Awareness Day. Learn how they did this in their published article.
3 Virtual reality suit and simulated unit - Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences and Northumberland Hills Hospital helped nurses experience what it might feel like to receive non-senior friendly care as a hospitalized person with dementia. Learn how they did this in the Feb 2024 sfCare Newsletter.
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