Emerging Issues of Intelligent Assistive Technology Use Among People With Dementia and Their Caregivers: A U.S. Perspective

Abstract

The increasing number of older adults with cognitive deficits, including dementia, poses a major challenge for public health in the United States. At the same time, the limited number of informal and professional caregivers available to support this rapidly growing population is of mounting concern. Not only does population aging limit the number of potential caregivers, but extant caregivers often lack skills to provide quality care. The integration of intelligent assistive technologies (IAT), including devices, robotics and sensors in many forms, into eldercare, may offer opportunities to reduce caregiver burden and enhance healthcare services while improving the quality of life among older adults with mild to severe cognitive deficits. However, many caregivers and their care recipients lack access to these technologies. The reasons for this reduced access are multifactorial, including the digital divide, sociocultural factors, and technological literacy. This mini review investigates the emerging use of IAT available to caregivers and older adults with cognitive deficits and explores the challenges in socioeconomic status and technological literacy as well as ethical and legal implications that should be considered in the design and development of IAT for older adults with cognitive deficits. Drawing from existing literature, it will suggest frameworks for design and adoption aimed at increased and equitable access for this vulnerable population.

Attitudes Toward Technology and Use of Fall Alert Wearables in Caregiving: Survey Study

“…From our analyses, we have demonstrated that the adapted TAM2 concepts of caregivers provide support for our hypotheses about care recipients’ use of fall alert wearables, which is reflective of previous literature [ 12 , 20 - 25 , 30 ]. Our model demonstrated that both high perceived usefulness and value of technology for caregiving was associated with greater interest in technologies for caregiving and that greater interest in technology for caregiving was predictive of greater use of fall alert wearables among care recipients, although only 28% (153/548) of our study’s care recipients used fall alerts.…”

“…Of particular interest is the growing market for fall alert systems, which are intended to help older adults reduce fear of falling and stay independent by ensuring that help will be available in the event of a fall. There is now a plethora of medical alert systems with fall detection, and while there are market comparisons and a growing amount of literature on older adults' acceptance of technology, less is known about how caregivers' attitudes toward technology can impact care recipients' use of such technology [6,[8][9][10][11][12]16,17,19,20].…”

Attitudes Toward Technology and Use of Fall Alert Wearables in Caregiving: Survey Study (Preprint)

“…From our analyses, we have demonstrated that the adapted TAM2 concepts of caregivers provide support for our hypotheses about care recipients' use of fall alert wearables, which is reflective of previous literature [12,[20][21][22][23][24][25]30]. Our model demonstrated that both high perceived usefulness and value of technology for caregiving was associated with greater interest in technologies for caregiving and that greater interest in technology for caregiving was predictive of greater use of fall alert wearables among care recipients, although only 28% (153/548) of our study's care recipients used fall alerts.…”

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Elderly With Dementia During COVID-19 Pandemic: Definition, Treatment, and Future Directions

“…However, despite some enthusiastic reports ( 67 ), findings are generally mixed. One limitation of technological applications is the inability to train caregivers on the use of computer-based support strategies ( 68 ) due to lockdown-related restrictions or a lack of skilled staff in nursing homes. Caregivers are required to address the needs of the user and the user’s acceptance of technology ( 14 ).…”