A. HOLLY PATTERSON EXTENDED CARE FACILITY RECEIVES $16,233 GRANT FROM THE SHELLEY AND DONALD RUBIN FOUNDATION TO PROVIDE PERSONALIZED MUSIC TO ELDERLY AND INFIRM NURSING HOME RESIDENTS THROUGH THE USE OF IPODS AND ITUNES, ALLOWING THEM TO RECONNECT WITH THEIR LIFE’S FAVORITE MUSIC, IMPROVE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND LIFT MORALE OF FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND STAFF
April 7, 2008
Contact:
Shelley Lotenberg
(516) 572-6055
shelley@numc.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
A. HOLLY PATTERSON EXTENDED CARE FACILITY RECEIVES $16,233 GRANT FROM THE SHELLEY AND DONALD RUBIN FOUNDATION TO PROVIDE PERSONALIZED MUSIC TO ELDERLY AND INFIRM NURSING HOME RESIDENTS THROUGH THE USE OF IPODS AND ITUNES, ALLOWING THEM TO RECONNECT WITH THEIR LIFE’S FAVORITE MUSIC, IMPROVE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND LIFT MORALE OF FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND STAFF
SIX MONTH IPOD USAGE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT INVOLVING TEN AHP RESIDENTS SHOWED THAT PROVIDING ACCESS TO THEIR FAVORITE MUSIC IS ADVANTAGEOUS TO NURSING HOME RESIDENTS AND WORKED SURPRISINGLY WELL WITH THOSE WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF FRAILTIES, INCLUDING THOSE SUFFERING FROM PARKINSONS, SLEEP DISORDERS, DEPRESSION, STROKES, PAIN, ALZEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA
East Meadow, NY………Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the Nassau Health Care Corporation announced that A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility in Uniondale had obtained a $16,233 grant from the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation to provide personalized music to elderly and infirm nursing home residents through the use of iPods and iTunes.
“We are grateful to the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation for their generosity that will allow our nursing home residents to reconnect with their life’s favorite music. It is now possible through digital music technology, most typically iPods, to extend the reach of nursing home staff to better meet the social, psychological and spiritual needs of those they serve,” stated Mr. Gianelli. “Too often the elderly and infirm become disconnected from the music they once listened to and enjoyed. Physically, they may lose the dexterity to operate a radio or CD player or mentally, they cannot ask for the music they might enjoy. This grant will allow us to address these issues.”
Starting in May 2006, Mary Grace Lynch, director of the Department of Therapeutic Recreation at AHP, began working on a six month personalized music demonstration project with the assistance of Dan Cohen, CEO of Favorite Melodies, LLC, to study the added benefits to nursing home residents of iPod based personalized music. Mr. Cohen, a part-time computer consultant, brings to this effort a long track record of helping to make technology work for individuals and businesses. “We have learned that nursing home residents are very appreciative of having access to their music, if they can’t operate the unit, staff will help and that it worked surprisingly well with most of the residents suffering from Parkinson’s, strokes, Alzeimer’s or related forms of dementia,” said Mr. Cohen.
Using a Music Preferences Assessment Form, staff learns the resident’s music favorites. An iTunes library provides access to songs obtained from iTunes, including ethnic music. The unit staff is trained in the iPod’s operation and how to work with residents to maximize utilization. Therapeutic Recreation staff will load and deliver the iPods, orienting the residents to its use. Once the resident becomes familiar with the music on their iPods, they can request deletions/additions/changes to the music, which can be made at bedside or delivered at a later time. The nursing home will manage its own laptop whose primary function is to manage the music library and Apple’s new operating system with its exceptional “Time Machine” capability works well in this scenario.
“Aged and infirm residents of nursing homes face challenges that include the need for more meaningful activity, loneliness and sometimes diseases or conditions that make life more of a struggle. Giving every resident the opportunity to access their favorite music whenever they want and wherever they are in the facility will not only improve each person’s experience, but also lift the morale of families, friends and staff,” said Larry Slatky, Senior Vice President for the nursing home.
The start-up grant totaling $16,233 provides 100 iPods, shuffles, adapters and headphones, 15 nanos, 30 external speakers, an iTunes music library with 5,000 songs, a MacBook laptop, a printer and an external Time Capsule disk drive for backup. Mary Grace Lynch, who coordinated this demonstration project said: “We look forward to implementing this program to a number of our residents. The quality of care provided by staff makes an immeasurable difference for facility residents. Providing speakers at the nurses’ stations will create a pleasant environment, promote interaction and result in the successful implementation of a project that can benefit all our nursing home residents.”
A.H.P. has an approximate daily census of 585 residents. The grant presently only provides for 100 iPods. Anyone wishing to assist with the purchase or donation of additional iPods, to benefit an increased number of our nursing home residents, can contact Mary Grace Lynch directly at 516-572-1542.