The Role and Effectiveness of the Life Map Design Tool in Establishing a Care Plan

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Background : In response to the increasing demand driven by an aging population, the number of nursing homes and residents in Japan continues to rise. Upon admission, an assessment is conducted to develop a care plan, which serves as the basis for the services provided to residents. However, the current process has limitations in effectively gathering comprehensive information about residents. Therefore, this study aims to examine the impact of the Life Map Design Tool (LDT) on the development of care plans.<BR/>Methods : For this study, one care manager from a nursing home in Japan was designated as a co-worker. The research involved 25 nursing home residents and was conducted in two phases. The first group consisted of existing residents, while the second group comprised new residents who moved in between September 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. To assess the impact of the Life Map Design Tool, the Holden Communication Scale and Ikigai-9 were used to measure outcomes before and after its implementation. The collected data was analyzed using statistical methods.<BR/>Results : The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test on 25 nursing home residents showed significant positive effects. For Communication, the first phase (n=17) showed an 11.768-point decrease in post-test scores, while the second phase (n=8) showed a 4.375-point decrease, both statistically significant. For A Life Worth Living, the first phase (n=17) showed a 13.368-point increase, and the second phase (n=8) a 6.121-point increase, confirming significant improvements. Lastly, A comparison of care plans revealed notable differences. In the provisional care plans, residents gave brief responses, whereas after using the Life Map Design Tool, the main care plans reflected more freely expressed opinions, allowing for personalized and appropriate care planning.<BR/>Conclusions : This study demonstrates that the Life Map Design Tool serves as a mediating tool that facilitates communication between care managers and residents during nursing home assessments. Therefore, further research utilizing this tool is encouraged to enhance the Quality of life in nursing homes.