Yao-Hui Kuo

Yao-Hui Kuo was graduated from Tunghai University with a major of Business Administration. Currently, a master student still in the department of Business Administration, Tunghai University. Furthermore is a member in Healing Environment Administration Research center (HEAR), in which aims to improve the life quality of the people through the development of a systematic healing environment model. To achieve the aim, HEAR brings together experts from different fields. Recently Yao-Hui Kuo is researching about Non-pharmacological interventions in Sundown Syndrome. With an all new technology product combine Color Psychology, Phototherapy and Music Therapy to either reduce the negative behavior on both patient and caregiver or improve the positive emotion in care center.

In fact, it has long been known that many elders are disturbed by chronic diseases. And in people with several conditions, simply application of recommendations from multiple single disease clinical guidelines can result in complex multiple drug regimens (polypharmacy) with the potential for implicitly harmful combinations of drugs. Therefore HEAR tries using noninvasive, non-pharmacological treatment to reduce the occurrence of various disease symptoms. Non-pharmacological treatments include cognitive/emotion-oriented interventions (e.g., simulated presence therapy, reminiscence therapy, and validation therapy), sensory stimulation interventions (e.g., aromatherapy, light therapy, acupuncture, massage/touch therapy, Snoezelen multisensory stimulation, music therapy, and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)), behavior management techniques, other psychosocial interventions (e.g., animal-assisted therapy and exercise), and various interventions targeting a specific behavioral symptom (e.g., wandering, agitation, and inappropriate sexual behavior).

Also Yao-Hui Kuo found that sundown syndrome is the most difficult symptom in dementia that can be attributed to a multifactorial neuropsychiatric symptom. They include aggressiveness, repetitive behavior, delusions, misidentifications, wandering, apathy, suicidal and sociopathic behavior. Both normal aging and dementia are similar with it. They altered circadian regulation of physiology and behavior. The clinical phenomenon of exacerbation of behavioral symptoms that occurs in the late afternoon or evening among dementia patients or elderly institutionalized patients has been reported in the clinical literature more than 70 years ago. These behaviors include increased disorientation, confusion, agitation, restlessness, wandering and anxiety.

So that, Yao-Hui Kuo try to change the environment and atmosphere in care center, combine the smart technology products. Hope to reduce the risk of medicament use among the elderly with dementia and increase the positive mentality on both elders and caregivers.