Implementation and Impact of the Magic Table for people living with dementia in care homes and day services
There are a growing number of people living with dementia in the UK and one third live in long term care settings, with a need to offer non-pharmacological interventions in these settings being essential. One means to do so is through technology, such as the Magic Table (MT), an interactive game projector. There is limited evidence regarding the implementation and impact of the MT, including that of times of heightened infection control, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of this thesis is to understand the features required for successful implementation and the impact of using the MT with people living with dementia in care homes and/or attending day services. As this PhD was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the use of the MT is explored within this research. This PhD comprises two studies. Study one aimed to understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the use of the MT, exploring MT usage in the UK and Netherlands during the Covid-19 pandemic and adaptations required to continue usage, using an online questionnaire (n=48) and interviews with UK participants (n=3). Study two, aimed to understand the optimal implementation and impact of the MT for people living with dementia, using an observational and interview design. This included designing a new observational tool to conduct observations (n=9) of players interactions with the MT in care homes (n=2) and day services (n=2) alongside semi-structured interviews with people living with dementia (n=6) and staff members (n=7). The findings indicate the MT is an activity, that can be used with people living with dementia at times of heightened infection control measures, with increasing planning and smaller group numbers, yet guidance of how to implement safely is required. Study two found inconsistencies in the ways the MT is being used at an organisational and staff level, including knowledge of MT features, flexibility in implementation approaches and the role of staff as facilitators, all limiting successful implementation. The role of people living with dementia in the implementation of the MT requires greater acknowledgement. Should the gaps in implementation be addressed, the MT can offer benefits including reducing time people living with dementia spend sedentary, the opportunity for social interaction and reducing behaviours that others finding challenging. Recommendations are provided to enhance guidance for use of the MT, for MT providers, organisations and staff members to enhance successful implementation and in doing so increase impact.
History
Qualification name
- PhD
Supervisor
Sarah Smith Andy Pringle Jackie Hargreaves Alys Griffiths Rachael KellyAwarding Institution
Leeds Beckett UniversityCompletion Date
2024-06-06Qualification level
- Doctoral
Language
- eng