P3–253: Harvard College Alzheimer's Buddies Program: Extending the intergenerational model

The need for meaningful personal interaction by intermediate-to-late-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients oftentimes cannot be fully satisfied by nursing home staff, community activities, or family visits. Although sometimes effective for early-stage residents, group visits from youth volunteers may be confusing for more advanced patients. Furthermore, the spread of intergenerational programs has been hindered by their high administrative costs. The Harvard College Alzheimer's Buddies Program (HCAB) was designed to be a sustainable multigenerational model that enlists family members and nursing staff in building meaningful relationships between residents and undergraduate volunteers. Over the course of an entire semester or more, students visit their residents one-on-one for one hour every week. This past fall and spring semester, 38–48 selected Harvard undergraduate applicants were formally trained and supported by volunteering professionals from Hebrew Rehabilitation Center (HRC) and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Volunteers chose residents at HRC based on their biographies and met with family members when possible. In an IRB-approved study, the effectiveness of their subsequent visits on reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia and increasing socialization outside of visits was quantified using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version, Minimal Data Set (MDS) records, and daily resident activity logs. Staff, families and residents were solicited for program feedback through surveys; volunteers, weekly reflection journals and group meetings. Based on preliminary anecdotes, we anticipate that residents will demonstrate long-term improvements in mood, fewer episodes of problematic behaviors, and increased rates of voluntary engagement in group activities. In their reflection journals, students describe formative, life-enhancing experiences. Families report that letters sent by each volunteer help them to cope with changes in their loved one. The model has shown itself to be sustainable through student administration and voluntary professional support. The HCAB model presents a comprehensive framework for incorporating staff and family members in a multigenerational model that imposes a relatively low administrative burden on nursing facilities. HCAB demonstrates the potential of the natural pairing between colleges and nursing homes, undergraduates and AD patients. HCAB's model and materials may be easily extended to facilitate the formation of new such partnerships in the Boston area and beyond.