About Tech-ICP
What Inspired Tech-ICP?
Many people living in long-term care homes (LTCH), experience symptoms related to Dementia and other cognitive changes. These conditions can sometimes lead to behaviours such as restlessness, calling out, or refusing care. This can be distressing for residents and challenging for staff and families to witness.
With the right approaches, we believe these moments can be opportunities to better understand each resident’s needs, build stronger relationships, and improve their quality of life.
Tech-ICP reinforces person-centered care and strengthens the environment where residents live and staff work. We are working towards care practices that feel consistent and aim to reduce overreliance on medications.
“It is expected that the Tech-ICP will enhance clinical team capabilities through technology to effectively treat BPSD, reduce inappropriate psychotropic medication use, improve quality of life of LTC residents, and reduce caregiver burden burnout.”
– Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association
What is an Integrated Care Pathway (ICP)?
ICP’s have been used in parts of the medical system for several decades. But it is only recently that they have been developed for mental health care.
An ICP is an approach for treating someone experiencing behaviours, this person needs to be seen by the right clinicians, in the right order, and at the right time. This approach ensures this happens by identifying a care team of different professionals and mapping out the treatment process from start to finish.
Integrated Care Pathways take a structured, evidence-based approach which prioritizes the person. Resulting in better care.
What’s involved?
When a person is placed on the pathway they will go through a range of assessments and treatments to identify all the factors that can potentially be contributing to their behaviours. This can include emotional, physical and clinical factors. Learn more about what the pathway involves below:
Assessments
Tech-ICP uses standardized assessment tools to give teams a consistent way to understand and describe behavioural changes
Medication Reviews
Medications will be reviewed to reduce unnecessary prescriptions and promote safer, more transparent medication use.
Non-medication Treatment
Strategies that do not involve the use of medications will be implemented. These interventions consider personal factors and address potential triggers like pain, fatigue, boredom, or overstimulation.
The Tech-ICP is supporting care teams to:
- Understand why behaviours occur
- Use structured assessments that guide decision making
- Apply nonpharmacological strategies before medications
- Monitor symptoms over time
- Improve communication with families and teams
- Reduce avoidable emergency visits
- Support safe and effective medication use when needed
Tech-ICP Consists of Two Projects
The Quality Improvement (QI) Project
This Project involves utilizing the ICP to guide consistent care and symptom tracking for residents with Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) which is followed by the whole care team.
Additionally, it incorporates non-medication interventions & activities tailored to residents’ interests & needs, to reduce the use of medication over time.
The Research Project
The Research Project involves various additional projects to supplement the use of the ICP, across multiple long-term homes.
This also includes implementing non-medication interventions (e.g., Virtual Reality reminiscence therapy, Robotic Pets, Sensory Activities), advanced wearable technology, and collecting blood biomarkers to further research in this area.
The Latest News
Learn more about the recent advances in Dementia Care research. Explore the latest developments, findings and publications that contribute to our work.
ICP for Dementia
Learn more about the importance of non-medication intervention approaches that inform this project and the ICP
VR Use for Depression in Dementia
Can Virtual Reality (VR) be an effective non medication way to treat Depression in Dementia?
Looking for more Information?
Our team is happy to answer your questions! Whether you’re trying to learn more about the Tech-ICP project, or wondering about how to be involved in research. Connect with us today!