Montessori-style person-centered care for Veterans with dementia and serious mental illness in VA nursing homes
Official title: Montessori Approaches in Person-Centered Care (MAP-VA): An Effectiveness-Implementation Trial in Community Living Centers
Funded at Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr · NIH-11302622 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trains VA nursing home staff to use Montessori-based, person-centered techniques to reduce agitation and improve daily life for Veterans with dementia or serious mental illness.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tuscaloosa, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2021 |
| Project end | October 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX003093-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11302622 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans residing in VA Community Living Centers who have dementia or serious mental illness (for example, schizophrenia) and who experience agitation, aggression, or mood disturbances are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not live in VA CLCs, who do not have dementia or SMI, or whose symptoms are caused by acute medical issues may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one live in a VA Community Living Center, staff trained in the MAP-VA toolkit will use tailored Montessori activities, routines, and environmental changes to reduce distress and support engagement. The program provides staff training, practical tools, and implementation support so daily care is more person-centered rather than task-focused. Researchers will compare outcomes across units using MAP-VA versus usual care by looking at behaviors, medication use, mood, weight, falls, and staff experiences. Participation mainly involves receiving care from trained staff and allowing routine chart review and observations for quality measures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower agitation and aggression, reduce reliance on psychotropic drugs, and improve quality of life for residents.
How similar studies have gone: Prior non-pharmacologic staff training programs and pilot MAP-VA data have shown promising improvements, but large-scale implementation evidence is still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr
Tuscaloosa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hilgeman, Michelle M. — Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr
- Study coordinator: Hilgeman, Michelle M.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.