Soundscape Optimization in Nursing Homes Through Raising Awareness in Nursing Staff With MoSART

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Environmental Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Suboptimal soundscapes in nursing homes negatively impact residents, causing anxiety and behavioral issues, especially for those with dementia.
• Nursing home staff play a crucial role in managing and improving the acoustic environment for residents.
• Cognitive and physical limitations prevent residents with dementia from adapting to their surroundings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Mobile Soundscape Appraisal and Recording Technology (MoSART+) intervention on nursing home soundscapes.
• To assess the impact of a sound awareness intervention on nursing staff's perception and management of the acoustic environment.
• To determine if staff empowerment through sound awareness training leads to improved resident environments.

Main Methods:

• The MoSART+ intervention involved training nursing staff, using the MoSART application for soundscape assessment, and implementing targeted micro-interventions over three months in four nursing homes.
• Soundscapes were quantitatively assessed using four attributes (pleasantness, eventfulness, complexity, affordances) and qualitatively by staff ratings.
• Statistical analysis included T-tests and Z-tests to compare pre- and post-intervention data.

Main Results:

• Post-intervention, soundscapes were significantly more pleasant (p < 0.01), less complex (p < 0.01), and less chaotic (p < 0.01), with a significant increase in the 'calm' dimension (p < 0.01).
• Staff evaluations of the environment significantly improved, with an increase in grades of 6 or higher (p < 0.01).
• The intervention led to a reduction in disturbing sounds, with 'people,' 'music, TV, radio,' and 'machines/appliances' remaining the most prevalent sound sources.

Conclusions:

• The MoSART+ intervention effectively improved nursing home soundscapes, leading to more favorable staff evaluations.
• Empowering nursing staff with sound awareness and assessment tools enables them to actively adapt environments for better resident well-being.
• Raising staff sound awareness is a viable strategy for nursing homes to enhance the acoustic quality of resident environments.