Music in different forms is widely used in dementia care and several studies have shown that music-based activities support the well-being of people with dementia. The aim of this article is to describe the first results of an assessment study of a music-based multimedia program called ‘Picture Gramophone’ (PG). The assessment was carried out in dementia day care units ( n= 5) in Finland, Ireland, Norway and the UK. In this article we describe the results from the first three weeks. Altogether, 28 people participated in the first interview and five dropped out over the three weeks. Most participants used the PG and, according to staff, most of them benefited from its use. Our results suggest that multimedia products can be used in dementia care if support is available and the design of the product takes into account the user requirements of people with dementia.

This article is in two parts. The first part describes the design of new assistive technology for people with dementia developed within the ENABLE project, with designs coming from both personal and professional carers as well as design engineers. The second part looks at traditional user-led design methodologies for assistive technology to see what lessons have been learnt from the ENABLE project to adapt these methodologies to make them more appropriate for people with dementia. The article concludes with a series of recommendations for designers to assist the generation of effective new devices for people with dementia.

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