Research

University of British Columbia
IDEA Lab

In 2019 we kicked off a 2-year research project with the Innovation in Dementia and Aging (IDEA) Lab at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Research was conducted in 3 memory care communities in Vancouver, BC and at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). The project was headed up by Dr. Lillian Hung RN PhD. Dr. Hung is an Associate Professor at UBC and she holds the Canada Research Chair in Senior Care.

Nicknamed the TV Study, this research investigated how Zinnia TV could be used as a resource improving the quality of life and psychosocial well-being of residents living in long-term care and patients in geriatric acute care that live with mid to late stage memory loss.

‍Publications:

‍The research resulted in a number of publications and posters, with the best summary of approach and findings being found here:

‍The Perspective of Nurses and Healthcare Providers on the use of Television Videos with People with Moderate to Severe Dementia

‍‍Summary of Findings:

Five themes and 3 sub-themes were identified:

Calm the person with dementia who is in emotional distress
Form connections with the person with dementia
Pay attention to the person's cognitive abilities
Match the TV videos with the person's interests and backgrounds
Pay attention to the cultural and linguistic relevance of the TV videos to create a meaningful and relatable experience for the person with dementia.
Bring people with dementia together
Facilitate the person's activities of daily living (ADLs)
Help the person connect with their past

Digital Health Sandbox Program

Over a 3-month period, care staff in both assisted living and memory care evaluated how Zinnia TV supported resident care and activities. A key goal of the research was to determine whether using Zinnia increased job satisfaction and reduced stress. A focal point of content testing was Zinnia TV’s newly-released, AI-built quiz content.

Key findings were that Zinnia TV in general reduced staff stress and created a calmer, less stressful environment for staff, and that our AI-built Quiz Content, an excellent tool to support people living in memory care, was not as useful in assisted or independent living where residents were generally cognitively healthy. This is not surprising since the content is intentionally built to be enjoyable by people who require a slower experience, with significant hints to ensure success.

Highlights from the final report included results of a survey completed by activity staff. Most staff agreed that Zinnia TV made it easier to offer enjoyable activities for residents, reduced job stress, created a calmer environment, and was easy to use. Staff also noted that residents responded positively, with improved moods, increased engagement, and an overall better experience.

Digital Health Sandbox Program

New England Deaconess Association‍

The Brenda Strafford Foundation

The Brenda Strafford Foundation, in partnership with Zinnia, launched Zinnia TV at two continuing care sites to support the cognitive, emotional, and social needs of older adults, especially individuals living with dementia. The identified challenge was that residents in memory care experience a lack of meaningful, dementia-friendly engagement opportunities that support their well-being and strengthen social connection. Further, staff face challenges providing person-centered care due to the demands of daily tasks.

The impact was that residents with varying levels of cognitive ability resonated with Zinnia TV’s broad programming, resulting in fewer severe responsive behaviors, as well as increased meaningful engagement.

Zinnia TV’s flexibility and ease of use made it effective in both individual and group settings. It also supported residents during moments of anxiety and isolation, strengthening person-centered care.

With research partners at Duke University we are evaluating the efficacy of a tool that would allow Zinnia subscribers to build customized playlists to reduce caregiver burden. These playlists would be built from existing Zinnia TV-produced content.

This video, shared by researchers in April, 2025 points to early success.

Brenda Strafford Foundation

Durham Veterans Affairs Delirium Study

Zinnia is working with Durham Veteran Affairs in Durham, North Carolina to evaluate the use of Zinnia as Delirium Prevention Approach as part of a Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) program.

Population and Problem:

Veterans age 75 and older who undergo surgery and Veterans with cognitive impairment are at high risk of developing delirium
At Durham Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (DVAHCS), both populations are cared for on 4 acute care medical surgical units
Staff lack scalable support to implement delirium prevention interventions

Intervention:

Zinnia delivers an innovative approach to support delirium prevention by offering videos to cue ADL and day-night routines delivered through the Get Well Network, to which VISN 6 and the Durham VA subscribe

Outcomes:

Delirium coincidence, duration, severity
Staff experience
Veteran experience

Durham Veterans Affairs Delirium Study -- ONGOING

Zinnia is an evidence-based dementia care solution