COMMUNI-CARE: Assessment tool for reactions and behaviours of patients with dementia in a multisensory stimulation environment.

BACKGROUND: The 'Snoezelen' is an approach based on stimulation and sensory stimulation proposals, giving priority to the notion of caretaking. The aim of this paper is to present the creation and validation of the COMMUNI-CARE scale. This is a new tool that allows for an evaluation of the psycho-emotional well-being that the patient with dementia shows in a 'Snoezelen' multisensory stimulation environment. METHODS: In total 429 evaluations in 143 multisensory stimulation interventions were made using the COMMUNI-CARE scale, in 16 patients between 53 and 85 years of age, diagnosed with moderate to severe dementia. The goal was to evaluate the psycho-emotional well-being the patients present. RESULTS: The tool's internal consistency showed a Crombach alpha of 0.90. The concurrent validity between the COMMUNI-CARE scale and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) was of r = -0.961. The Kappa index used to determine the reliability between evaluators was of K = 0.87. CONCLUSIONS: The COMMUNI-CARE scale fulfills the basic principles of classic psychometrics of construct, and criterion validity and reliability. It does so while showing a clear idea, through its five subscales (anxiety, communication, pleasure, adaptation to the surroundings and affection), of the degree of well-being that the patient with dementia shows during such interventions. This scale embodies, through psychometrics, a very subjective human experience with a tool unavailable to date.

Creativity and spirituality in nursing: implementing art in healing.

Creative modalities offer nurses a new perspective on how to care for patients. The link between creativity and healing is well documented. In response to this, many hospitals have instituted programs that include arts and creativity. Because of their unique bonds with patients, nurses play a crucial role in bringing creative arts into patient care. Several recommendations are given for implementing specific art media (eg, music, drawing, dance, writing) in the clinical setting.