Shifting from in-person to virtual programming to provide intergenerational social support for patients with dementia: The virtual TimeOut@ucla program

Background: TimeOut@UCLA is an intergenerational program that recruits and mobilizes college student volunteers to provide weekly one-on-one social interaction sessions with older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) We previously demonstrated that our in-person program alleviates loneliness among seniors, offers caregivers respite, and strengthens student interest and knowledge in aging In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we modified the delivery of our program to an innovative virtual format The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the success of this transition Methods: Following focused training on aging and dementia, college students volunteered 1-2 times week for 10 week sessions Each student was paired with a cognitively-impaired older adult based on shared interests and/or cultural/language backgrounds Using Zoom as the virtual platform, students led seniors through online activities and engaged in conversation over about 60 minutes each session The program was evaluated through virtual session auditing, qualitative outcome data in the form of student and caregiver interviews, and quantitative data in the form of student and caregiver surveys Results: Between March and December 2020, 41 students and 38 seniors participated in the program Preliminary caregiver surveys indicated improved mood, focus, and quality of life for 100% of participants with dementia (N=10) Moreover, 100% of caretakers reported the most important benefit to be observing their loved ones enjoying conversation and the opportunity to relax and gain relief from the monotonous routine The students (N=17) experienced a significant (P < 0 001) increase (31 points on a 170-point scale) on the Dementia Attitude Scale More data will be presented from ongoing data collection Conclusion: Innovative interventions may address the unintended consequences of the Covid-19 mitigation measures Virtual TimeOut@UCLA provides an innovative way to alleviate loneliness in older adults with ADRD through intergenerational interactions Additionally, it provides a rewarding way for young adults to develop interest, knowledge, and skills to interact with cognitively-impaired older adults