Computing technologies for reflective, creative care of people with dementia

Abstract

Digital technologies have much to offer the care for people with dementia. However, their uptake so far has been slow. In this article, we report the introduction of sensor and mobile technologies and applications to support carers of people with dementia in residential homes to be more reflective and creative. Results revealed that carers can and want to use these technologies, but more effective app alignment with different dementia care strategies will be needed to achieve widespread technology take--up.

My Wellness as a Mobile App. Identifying Wellness Types among the Young Elderly

“…Several studies have investigated how mobile technologies can be employed to support the care of individuals with dementia-related diseases. The technology user in such studies is either the caregiver [26], [53] or the patient herself [47], [52].The technology was utilized to e.g. aid communication, support reminiscence / recall and provide stimulation.…”

HawkEye - Deploying a Design Fiction Probe

“…Symptoms include memory loss and change in personality [31], difficulty performing simple everyday tasks [31], getting lost [30,31] and insomnia [55]. A significant research focus is on personalised care at home, to allow people with dementia to maintain their autonomy for as long as possible [13,30,40,47,49,52], enabling them to remain in their own home for longer [46]. Technologies address the stress of caregiving, which increases as symptoms become more severe [1] but is also unpredictable as symptoms fluctuate and needs change [4].…”

Ticket to Talk

“…Encouraging reminiscence through technology has been directed at both formal and 'informal', or unpaid, caregivers. Maiden et al [33] explore the use of mobile applications for reflection by encouraging carers to log and then reflect on their interactions with people with dementia, prompting them to think about methods in which they can deliver a better approach to person-centred care. Wallace et al's 'Tales of I' [53] focuses more explicitly on the individual with dementia, showing memories or films through an interactive art piece in a care home.…”