An Assistive Wardrobe to Support Dressing Independence

描述（由研究者提供）：大多数长期护理机构的个体在完成基本日常生活活动（adl）的能力方面存在显著且通常严重的限制。MDS数据表明，在疗养院中，超过80%的人无法在言语提示下独立穿衣服，超过55%的辅助生活人员也需要帮助。自我照顾能力的下降会对自我形象产生负面影响，而独立完成生活自理能力的提高则会支持更积极的自我形象和更高的生活质量。该项目的目的是开发一个衣柜系统/衣柜，可以很容易地定制，以支持养老院和辅助生活居民的特定和常见的身体和认知残疾。基本假设是，一个适应性强的衣柜，按照通用设计原则设计，将增加长期护理机构中有身体或认知障碍的居民在穿衣方面的独立性。这反过来将减少工作人员需要花费在帮助居民穿衣上的时间。该项目将开发一个原型装置，并在几个辅助生活设施和养老院进行测试。通用设计原则通常不会被纳入诸如衣柜之类的产品的设计中，尽管有大量证据表明它们的功效。不需要“学习”使用的功能，如浅色的内部，自动开关的内部灯，以及门和抽屉的旋钮，可以很容易地看到，并为有明显力量或运动障碍的人使用。认识到长期护理居民身体和认知障碍的显著范围和程度，额外的功能将被设计为“附加”组件，可以根据个别居民的具体需求进行定制。机构越来越认识到以居民为中心的护理实践的重要性，在制定护理计划时考虑到个别居民的具体需求和能力。然而，物理环境很少为居民个人提供定制的机会。这个项目将创造一个衣柜，养老院的工作人员可以很容易地修改，很少或没有专门的培训，以满足居民的独特需求。

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): The majority of individuals in long term care settings have significant and often severe limitations in their ability to complete basic activities of daily living (ADLs). MDS data indicate that over 80% of individuals in nursing homes are unable to dress independently with verbal prompts, and over 55% of individuals in assisted living also need assistance. Decreased ability to provide self-care has negative consequences on self-image, whereas increasing ability to complete ADLs independently supports more positive self-image and higher quality of life. The aim of this project is to develop a closet system/wardrobe that can be easily customized to support specific and common physical and cognitive disabilities of nursing home and assisted living residents. The basic hypothesis is that an adaptable wardrobe, designed to universal design principles, will increase independence in dressing in residents in long-term care settings with either physical or cognitive impairments. This in turn will decrease the amount of time staff needs to spend on assisting residents with dressing. The project will develop a prototype unit and test it in several assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Universal design principles are not routinely incorporated into the design of products such as wardrobes, despite substantial evidence of their efficacy. Features that do not need to be "learned" to use, such as a light colored interior, an interior light that automatically turns on and off, and door and drawer knobs that can be easily seen and used by someone with significant strength or range of motion impairments, would be included. Recognizing both the significant range and degree of physical and cognitive impairments of long term care residents, additional features will be designed as "add on" components, which can be tailored to the specific needs of an individual resident. Facilities are increasingly recognizing the importance of resident centered care practices, in which the specific needs and abilities of individual residents are considered when developing care plans. The physical environment, however, seldom provides opportunities to be customized for individual residents. This project would create a wardrobe that could be easily modified by nursing home staff, with little or no specialized training, to meet the unique needs of the residents.