June 20, 2025
Just 10 minutes of personalized engagement a day can have a profound positive effect on people living with dementia, according to the results of a new study that included a pilot of the program by a senior living and care provider.
Through a partnership with Miami University’s Scripps Gerontology Center, United Church Homes piloted the Individualized Positive Psychosocial Interaction program. The evidence-based initiative found that just 10 minutes of personalized interaction a day can bring joy and relief to residents living with dementia. Their results were published in the August 2025 issue of JAMDA, the Journal of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association.
In 2022, UHC collaborated with the Scripps Gerontology Center and the Pennsylvania State University Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing on two National Institute on Aging grants to roll out the IPPI program across seven of its Ohio skilled nursing facilities.
The program trained certified nursing assistants, nurses, social workers and activity staff members to spend 10-minute, one-on-one sessions with residents, engaging them in activities tailored to their preferences. Over six months, 130 residents participated.
The pilot revealed that in 5% of the 4,800 sessions, residents’ moods lifted from negative or neutral to positive, with 42% maintaining a stable, often positive, mood. The results showed that symptoms of distress — depression or wandering — decreased over three and six months, respectively, for most resident participants.
“Watching a resident light up during an IPPI session — like when they laugh over a puzzle piece fitting just right — reminds me why this work matters,” study co-author and UHC Director of Customer Experience Amy Kotterman, RDN, LD, said in a UHC story. “Those 10 minutes can turn a tough day into a moment of delight, and the study shows it’s making a real difference.”
Kotterman and Molly Noble, a Scripps Gerontology Center research associate, presented the IPPI implementation results at the Center for Innovation conference last fall and will return to share the study’s findings in August, showcasing how IPPI fosters a positive care culture.
The researchers said that future work can build on their findings to implement a larger-scale effectiveness trial in senior living communities and other settings.
