Video Respite® in an Alzheimer's Care Center

Video Respite® (VR) is a videotape application that captures the attention of memory impaired persons, such as those with Alzheimer's disease (AD), by simulating a visit between an actor and the impaired viewer. Although VR initially was developed to create brief respite opportunities for family caregivers, long-term care (LTC) facilities are now using them as a way to engage their clients in stimulating and meaningful activities. VR tapes were mainly designed to be watched by a solitary viewer so it is unclear if a group setting would interfere with the ability of some AD patients to watch and participate with the videotape. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to compare how well Remembering When, a 20-minute videotape that reminisces about growing up in the 1920s and 1930s, captured and maintained the attention of 12 institutionalized AD patients when they were in a group setting (3 per group) versus when they each viewed it alone. A second objective was to identify factors related to the effectiveness of VR in either setting. Although there was greater participation associated with solitary viewing, the data suggest that group viewing does not seriously interfere with VR's capacity to capture and maintain attention. Those who were more upbeat at the time they watched the tape were more responsive while those who were restless, particularly during solitary viewing, did not respond or enjoy the tape as much. Although additional research is warranted, the findings of this exploratory study suggest that VR has considerable promise as an individual and group activity in long-term care settings.