Excellence in Action: The Sky’s The Limit – Using Technology to Improve Quality of Life!

A long-term resident of our Texarkana, Texas Life Plan Community (LPC) had his head in the clouds. The individual had a diagnosis of dementia and was noted to be experiencing a functional decline in overall mobility and self-care. Our TMC rehab team evaluated the resident to address any functional declines, and in doing so, realized that in addition to his declines in mobility and self-care, he was also struggling socially and emotionally with his recent admission to Memory Care.

Prior to therapy intervention, the resident required maximum assistance (Max A) with transfers and was having difficulty with self-regulation and maintaining attention to task. This led to the resident requiring increased assistance with all activities of daily living (ADLs) and limited independence within the facility.

In 2019, the retirement community contracted with IN2L technologies, a system that uses content-driven engagement to create meaningful experiences for older adults, by connecting them to the world around them. The IN2L system is used by rehab therapists for therapeutic interventions to make repetitive exercise more interesting and engaging. In addition to therapy use, the system can be used by facility staff to impact patient engagement and to maintain patients’ abilities for movement, and independence, as well as their cognitive, social, and psychosocial well-being. 

Following the resident’s therapy evaluation, our COTA, Jessica, got to know the resident. She learned that he often fixated on flying, which led her to find out, the resident was a US Veteran who served in the military as a pilot in his younger days. Jessica knew the IN2L system was equipped with a flight simulation game, and since she learned of the resident’s love for flight, implemented the flight simulation game into the resident’s therapy to address posture, trunk control, motor coordination, and attention to task. The resident was able to choose which plane he wanted to “fly,” and he proceeded to not only participate in the flight simulation game, but he also taught Jessica about the dials and controls in the cockpit. Following this innovative therapeutic intervention, the resident’s levels of alertness and engagement were more appropriate, and he was excited to participate with Jessica in further therapeutic interventions focused on improving his quality of life and maintaining his best ability to function.

Once they had established that the IN2L technology was appropriate for the resident and realized how much he enjoyed it, Jessica educated the facility’s Activity Coordinator on the setup and use of the IN2L flight simulation game for the resident. With Jessica’s skilled training, the Activities Coordinator with able to incorporate the IN2L system into the resident’s daily activities throughout his stay at the facility to maintain function, wellness, and general well-being.

In Texarkana, Texas, we are ALL IN for therapy that soars above and beyond the confines of the therapy gym to help our residents achieve and maintain their best quality of life!