Advisor, ABBY System Implementation Working Group

Meaningful and familiar activities and surroundings can have a positive impact for people living with dementia or chronic mental illness. Interior Health would like patient partners to help develop an interactive system, ABBY, to enable geriatric patients to engage with their surroundings safely. Patient partners are invited to be part of this implementation working group and participate in an in-person session to view the proposed system for the geriatric psychiatry unit at Hillside Centre.

Open to: Patient partners in the Kamloops area

Lead Organization or Department

Interior Health, Quality Improvement

Aim

A team from Interior Health is bringing the ABBY system to the Geriatric Psychiatry Unit at the Hillside Centre on the Royal Inland Hospital Campus.  ABBY is an interactive ambient activity system which enables geriatric patients with dementia and/or chronic mental illness to interact with their surroundings. It will include content specific to Kamloops and the surrounding area, such as pictures and sounds as well as comforting activities, like stroking a cat or listening to music. The system can be used by patients and families independently, or guided by staff. The role of the patient partner(s) would be to act as advisors on content that may spark pleasant memories for these patients. Input from patient partners with diverse cultural backgrounds would be an asset.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of involve on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will involve patients in planning and design phases to ensure ideas or concerns are considered and reflected in alternatives and recommendations.

Eligibility

• There are no specific skills or experiences required
• Knowledge of Kamloops culture is an asset
• Knowledge of Indigenous cultural history in the Kamloops area is an asset
• Able to communicate via email and in-person

Logistics

Number of vacancies: many Location, Date, Time and Frequency: Initially, patient partners will be asked to provide their advice in email format. The hope is to have the information by the middle of September. It is the intent to invite the patient partners back to provide in-person feedback for a review of the proposed system.

Reimbursement

Pre-approved travel expenses will be reimbursed if an in-person meeting takes place

Background

The ABBY system has previously only been used in residential care; this will the first use in Canada within an acute mental health setting. Take a look at this Journeys to Engagement brochure for more information. The setting for local implementation of ABBY is tertiary mental health, starting first with the geriatric psychiatry unit. In addition to patients, staff will also be involved and invited to suggest content for the system

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Jacquelyne Foidart
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Thompson Cariboo Kootenays
250.879.1077
jfoidart@bcpsqc.ca