PEER Research Project

Thursday, April 28, 2022

The Jewish Association on Aging’s Arbor unit is participating in a study with The Hearthstone Institute called PEER: Purposeful Engagement for Every Resident. In this study, which is funded by the National Institute on Aging, the Hearthstone Institute will develop and test a tablet-based app that enables individuals with memory loss to participate in or lead activities for their peers.

The activities developed for the study are designed specifically for people with memory loss. The activities developed for the study are:

  • Sort It Out!™  A discussion activity in which people sort images and words into different categories.
  • Hearthside Book Club® A reading and discussion activity that includes very large print text.
  • Lingo Bingo™ An activity that is a combination of bingo, trivia, and tic-tac-toe
  • Critic’s Corner An activity that allows participants to discuss famous works of art.
  • Quote Vote An activity that presents participants with brief, dementia-appropriate quotes about love, nature, family, beauty, etc. Participants vote on whether they like the quote and then discuss it.

Researchers will interview residents in small groups (3-6 participants) and/or one-on-one. During these interviews, the researchers will ask the residents about their opinions of the app, including topics such as menu layout, color choices, titles for activities, etc. All interviews will be led by a researcher who has experience facilitating such interviews with persons with memory issues. To learn more about the study, visit https://peerstudy.net/