Technology for dementia care: what would good technology look like and do, from carers' perspectives (original) (raw)
Related papers
Designing technology to support quality of life of people with dementia
Technology and Disability
Much assistive technology for people with dementia is primarily designed to support security and safety. This paper describes design work carried out for a project called INDEPENDENT which specifically aimed at designing technology to support quality of life. The project involved academic engineers, social scientists and architects, together with representatives of user groups and a manufacturer. The design work was based on a comprehensive user survey in which people with dementia themselves highlighted the factors which affected their quality of life. This data was analysed through a series of multidisciplinary workshops involving the whole project consortium. The workshops consolidated the data into a wish-list of 11 areas crucial to quality of life that could then be addressed by new designs. Of the total of 69 designs that were considered, 4 were selected for initial design work within the project; a simple music player, a window-on-the-world device for streaming remote images into people's homes and between homes, a conversation prompter, and a device to support sequences of activities. The paper describes progress with these devices, highlighting the iterative and user-led design methodology used.
Technology supporting the everyday life of people with dementia
People with dementia have increased needs for support when carrying out everyday tasks. Even mild forms of dementia are associated with a diminished quality of life, poor self-esteem, anxiety, and social isolation. Whereas in the past, technology research has largely focused on ensuring safety and security of dementia patients, the focus is increasingly on positively enhancing the quality of life of dementia patients living at home. More recent work, therefore, has adopted a needs-led approach to ensure that interactive devices are more usable and relevant to dementia patients. In line with this, the aim of the present study was to develop design concepts for technology supporting people with dementia in their independent living, based on interviews about the needs of users and their carers. The results show the need for both independence and social interaction as the main concern. From the carers' point of view, technology for supporting social interaction is also seen as a major domain that technology development should focus on. A review of current research, the findings of our interview study, and resulting design scenarios are presented in this paper.
Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
This paper reports on the research methods used in five different projects aimed at supporting people living with dementia in their everyday lives and activities of daily living. In all five projects, people living with dementia and their informal carers were involved. Applied methods ranged from passive involvement in the form of observations to very active involvement consisting of consultation rounds and think-aloud sessions. The projects highlighted that people living with dementia can still contribute to the development of solutions that support them in the self-management of their symptoms and challenges, as well as technological solutions that support them in daily living.
International Psychogeriatrics, 2009
Background: The role of technology to facilitate independent living for people with dementia is not fully realized, with initial attempts (e.g. tracking devices) being considered unacceptable from a practical and ethical perspective. The aim of this study is to create acceptable and effective prototype technologies to facilitate independence for people with dementia through a user-centered design process involving them and their carers. Method: The study comprised a three-stage participatory design process: scoping stage (five focus groups, 10 people with dementia and 11 carers); participatory design stage (five workshops, 22 participants) and prototype development stage (four meetings with two people with dementia and one carer). Focus groups and workshops were digitally recorded, fully transcribed and subjected to constant comparative analysis. Results: People with mild to moderate dementia enjoy a variety of activities both on their own and with their families; however, concerns included getting lost, a loss of confidence with curtailment of usual activities, and carer anxiety. Existing technologies (mobile phones) were used intermittently. Participants felt strongly that future devices should be disguised and be integrated easily into their daily routines. Suggested areas for functional improvement included two-way communications, flexibility of function as the illness progresses, and something to "guide" them home when out walking or driving. Attention should also be focused on minimizing the size, weight and visibility of devices to reduce stigmatization. Conclusion: Prototypes for two devices (armband and electronic notepad) were developed. The study showed that involving people with dementia in the process of participatory design is feasible and could lead to devices which are more acceptable and relevant to their needs.
Ageing and Society, 2018
Assistive technologies (ATs) are being ‘mainstreamed’ within dementia care, where they are promoted as enabling people with dementia to age in place alongside delivering greater efficiencies in care. AT provision focuses upon standardised solutions, with little known about how ATs are used by people with dementia and their carers within everyday practice. This paper explores how people with dementia and carers use technologies in order to manage care. Findings are reported from qualitative semi-structured interviews with 13 people with dementia and 26 family carers. Readily available household technologies were used in conjunction with and instead of AT to address diverse needs, replicating AT functions when doing so. Successful technology use was characterised by ‘bricolage’ or the non-conventional use of tools or methods to address local needs. Carers drove AT use by engaging creatively with both assistive and everyday technologies, however, carers were not routinely supported in ...
Introducing novel technology into care homes for older people with dementia
Gerontechnology, 2010
ISSUE An increasing number of technologies are available to assist with managing the symptoms of dementia, with the focus often being assisting the family carer. However, the wider potential of technology in improving quality of life for people with dementia is yet to be exploited. The four projects which form this symposium have all taken place in the UK and involved people with dementia and their carers in different settings including domestic housing and residential care. They demonstrate the use of a range of different technological applications, from specialist devices to technologies that are used in everyday life. They illustrate some of the challenges for the dementia workforce if the use of technology is to be promoted. STRUCTURE Each presenter will provide a summary of research they have been engaged in with people with dementia and identify the emergent issues from their work for implementation. The symposium convener, Gail Mountain, will then lead a discussion about the use of technologies for people with dementia including the promotion of digital inclusion. CONCLUSION Identification of the issues for different stakeholders including researchers, industry, health and social care practice and people with dementia and their family carers. Also, identification of the actions that need to occur to ensure that people with dementia are able to benefit fully from technological innovation.
Design for Dementia Care - Making a Difference
2017
The paper discusses the growing role of design in dementia care and its power to enhance the wellbeing of people living with dementia, their carers and caregivers. It refers to three examples of recent design research focusing on creating environments, objects and technologies to support appropriate person-centred stimulation and activities in dementia care. The projects use interdisciplinary co-design approaches and ethnographic methods to establish new knowledge and develop user-centred design solutions to improve care. The authors debate that engaging end-users in the design process not only empowers the designer; the collaborative approach enables in particular the carer / caregiver to reflect on their important task and to mobilise their creativity.Jakob, A., Manchester, H and Treadaway, C. (2017) 'Design for Dementia Care: Making a Difference', Nordes 2017: DESIGN+POWER (7th Nordic Design Research Conference 15-17 June 2017). AHO - Oslo
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
Although there are promising benefits of supportive technology in dementia care, use of these technologies is still limited. It is challenging for researchers and developers in this field to actively involve people with dementia in development. This review updates and builds on existing knowledge by including a contemporary and relevant perspective. This perspective was gained by including search words and search databases from the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Design, as these fields were expected to supply novel insights in the complex task of actively involving people with dementia in developing supportive technologies. A total of 49 out of 3456 studies were included which describe the development of a great variety of technologies. Often people with dementia were involved in the generative or evaluative phase of the development. Interviews and observations were most commonly used methods. In seven articles the people with dementia were co-designers. This literature review reflects that people with dementia can influence the development of technology in regards to content, design, and even the initial idea, although the impact on how they experience their own involvement remains largely unknown. There is a lack of specific knowledge on appropriate methods and materials for active involvement of people with dementia in supportive technology development, even when including articles from the field of HCI and Design. Future research is needed to further appreciate and improve the desired role of people with dementia in meaningful technology development.