Although persons with dementia (PWD) and their family caregivers need
in-home support for common neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), few if any assistive
technologies are available to help manage NPS. This implementation study tested
the feasibility and adoption of a touch screen technology, the
Companion, that delivers psychosocial, nondrug
interventions to PWD in their home to address individual NPS and needs.
Interventions were personalized and delivered in-home for a minimum of 3 weeks.
Post-intervention measures indicated the technology was easy to use,
significantly facilitated meaningful and positive engagement, and simplified
caregivers’ daily lives. Although intervention goals were met,
caregivers had high expectations of their loved-one’s ability to regain
independence. Care recipients used the system independently, but were limited by
cognitive and physical impairments. We conclude the Companion
can help manage NPS and offer caregiver respite at home. These data provide
important guidance for design and deployment of care technology for the
home.
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