MARC AGRONIN: Henry went viral. Over 1.7 million viewers and counting have witnessed this wheelchair-bound nursing-home resident being provided with his favorite music piped into headphones from an iPod. This clip, from Alive Inside, a movie about the Memory and Music project that brings donated iPods to individuals in nursing homes, is one illustration of how technology is driving innovation in the long-term-care sector of health care.
The average long-term care resident, whether in a nursing home or assisted-living facility, is in his or her 80s or 90s and suffering from one or more serious physical or cognitive limitations. Aside from a few computer-savvy people, most of these individuals need help getting wired. In addition to the Music and Memory program, several other initiatives have begun using iPods, iPads and other tablets to bring sensory and cognitive stimulation to residents who are otherwise bored, restless or in search of some purpose in the moment. For example, a pilot study at the University of California, San Diego found that iPads were safe and effective in reducing agitation in patients with dementia. These same tablets are increasingly being used by family members to connect grandma or grandpa with distant family and friends via networks like Skype. Telemedicine and telepsychiatry make use of similar but more souped-up technology to bring specialists such as geriatric psychiatrists to the bedside of nursing-home residents in underserved areas.