A training apartment with a set of electronic memory aids for patients with cognitive problems

Abstract

The aims were to investigate whether patients with memory difficulties after acquired brain injury (ABI) are able to learn how to use a set of electronic memory aids integrated in a training apartment, and to use the same setting for identifying activities that these patients tend to forget among a predefined set of activities. This identification is done by using a computer system to register activities that are not performed, which the system is designed to act upon with reminders or alarms. During a stay of five days in the training apartment, 14 patients received training from an experienced occupational therapist to learn how to use the electronic memory aids. Significant improvements were found at group level in learning how to use the electronic memory aids. Computer registrations showed that the refrigerator and the stove were most challenging to remember. The total number of alarms and reminders as indication/measure of memory difficulties did not correlate with the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test scores in the individuals. These findings indicate the importance of a stay in a training apartment to examine whether or not patients have difficulties in everyday activities and to try out electronic memory aids that might support these difficulties before they are discharged from the rehabilitation clinic.

A special messaging technology for two persons with acquired brain injury and multiple disabilities

“…This evidence seems very encouraging, as the condition of the participants was quite serious and their motor and visual disabilities would not have allowed them an independent use of the other technologies available for communicating with distant partners [7,8,10,27,28].…”

“…While the importance of ensuring this type of communication is obvious, the use of electronic mail may be viewed as an inadequate approach when dealing with persons who have multiple disabilities, including extensive/profound motor and visual disabilities. The presence of those disabilities, in fact, would drastically interfere with the persons' chances of benefiting from such a technology in its standard form or simple adaptations of it [7,8,10,27]. The same disabilities would also prevent the use of telephone systems [10,14,28].…”

“…with distant partners) and (b) the potential therapeutic value of such a communication [7,8,10,11,26]. While the importance of ensuring this type of communication is obvious, the use of electronic mail may be viewed as an inadequate approach when dealing with persons who have multiple disabilities, including extensive/profound motor and visual disabilities.…”

“…Many of these persons, particularly those presenting with multiple disabilities, might require some level of life-long care and support and might also need specially equipped homes or neurorehabilitation facilities [7][8][9][10][11][12].…”

Editorial

“…It is very important for occupational therapists to learn about and handle digital innovations, and enable and support our clients to handle these digital techniques. Therefore it is interesting to read about the project where people with memory difficulties stayed in an apartment with digital memory aids, and how they learned to use and function in this environment (5). The study confirms that a memory test cannot capture the problems that will occur in a real life situation, and they stress the importance of letting patients with memory difficulties stay in a training apartment before discharge.…”