Pottsville Students Create QR Codes to Help Reunite Senior Adults with Their Caregivers
The tags and key chains will be given to inpatients and outpatients who receive assistance through the Dardanelle Regional program which provides care for seniors experiencing symptoms of dementia and other conditions affecting their mental health.
Special thanks to a team of seventh grade students in the EAST Program at Pottsville Junior High School who presented tags and key chains equipped with QR codes to the Dardanelle Regional Senior Behavioral Health (SBH) program.
The QR codes are designed to help someone who finds a lost senior adult locate that person’s caregiver. The QR codes are laser engraved into sturdy acrylic coverings that can be easily attached to key chains and clothing tags.
Once the QR code is scanned, the person who finds the lost senior adult can access a form can enter the location and contact information. This information from the form is sent to the Dardanelle Regional Senior Health program for assistance in reuniting the senior adult with their caregivers.
Tiffany Horton, RN, the admissions and community education coordinator for the Senior Behavioral Health program at Dardanelle Regional, will be the initial contact for assistance for the seniors. Horton said the tags and key chains will be given to inpatients and outpatients who receive assistance through the Dardanelle Regional program which provides care for seniors experiencing symptoms of dementia and other disorders affecting their mental health.
"I was impressed by the initiative of these young people to see a problem and find a solution. Their dedication and innovation assure me that the future of our community and healthcare is in good hands,” said Horton. She coordinates dementia support groups in Dardanelle and Russellville.
“The students were concerned because they had seen a rising number of seniors missing on social media,” said Tina Taylor, who facilitates the East program at Pottsville Junior High School, “and they started brainstorming on how to help the community reunite those seniors with their loved ones while keeping their private information safe. As soon as the students realized they could help, their enthusiasm went through the roof.”
Using resources from the school Information Technology program and senior health experts in the community, the three students designed and produced the QR codes and holders in about two months.
Taylor and the team of seventh graders Josie Holland, Sophia Kearn, and Natalie Gullett presented 30 key chains and tags containing the QR codes to the Dardanelle Regional Senior Health program staff on January 29.
The EAST program is a national program that helps the community while teaching students the benefits of technology. Taylor said about 120 students at the school participate in various education programs including robotics. To learn more, visit https://www.eastinitiative.org/Projects/Preview.aspx?id=321
Dardanelle Regional Medical Center offers assistance for seniors experiencing symptoms of dementia and other disorders affecting their mental health through both inpatient and outpatient services. For more information, visit:
News coverage of the East Program’s Donation
(KATV)
(Russellville Courier)