An evaluation of a monitoring system intervention: falls, injuries, and affect in nursing homes.

This project assessed the extent to which modern technology (Vigil) can augment or substitute for direct staff intervention in nonacute late-evening and nighttime situations in a nursing home setting. Vigil was implemented for dementia residents of a special care unit (SCU) in a large nursing home. An SCU matched in terms of unit-wide case mix and cognition was used for comparison. Results showed that there was no significant reduction in falls and injuries, but there was a significant improvement in affective disorder in the intervention group as contrasted with the comparison group. There was no significant increase in staff-perceived burden, despite the significant increase in the amount of direct care time logged. Additional time spent in staff care was significantly related to decreased affective disorder. The findings related to Vigil are generally mixed. The question remains as to whether the improvement in affect was due to Vigil or vigilance.