Empirical studies on the effectiveness of assistive technology in the care of people with dementia: a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the empirical support for the use of assistive technology in the care of people with dementia as an intervention to improve independence, safety, communication, wellbeing and carer support. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 232 papers were identified as potentially relevant. Inclusion criteria were: studies published between 1995 and 2011, incorporated a control group, pre-test-post-test, cross sectional or survey design, type of interventions and types of participants. The 41 papers that met criteria were subjected to an assessment of their validity using the model provided by Forbes. Following the assessment seven papers were considered as strong, ten moderate and 24 weak. The review is presented around the following topics: independence, prompts and reminders; safety and security; leisure and lifestyle, communication and telehealth; and therapeutic interventions. Findings – The literature exploring the use of assistive technologies for increasing independence and compensating for memory problems illustrate the problems of moving from the laboratory to real life. The studies are usually limited by very small samples, high drop-out rates, very basic statistical analyses and lack of adjustment for multiple comparisons and poor performance of the technology itself. Originality/value – Research to date has been unable to establish a positive difference to the lives of people with dementia by the general use of the assistive technology reviewed here.

Managing diabetes in people with dementia: a realist review

“…68,90,91,112,120,133,142 For example, a mixed-methods study 68 on older people with diabetes and a qualitative study 91 on people living with dementia highlight the importance of family carer assistance in the use of AT. Family carers were found to invest a substantial amount of effort in embedding AT to help their relatives to maintain independence and reduce potential risks, which in turn minimises carer anxiety.…”

“…A systematic review 90 of AT for people living with dementia (n = 41 studies) found that there is currently little evidence to suggest that AT has an impact on the independence, safety or security of people living with dementia. There was some evidence to support the use of AT to facilitate communication and provide access to support and information for carers.…”

“…Twenty-two of the 79 research papers were reviews. Of those, 15 were systematic reviews, 79,80,82,84,89,90,93,101,[125][126][127]131,132,137,143 one was a realist review 134 and six were non-systematic reviews. 25,37,45,66,73,105 The rest of the research papers (n = 57) related to primary research.…”

“…Furthermore, they suggest that 'there is quite a short span of time during which the person with dementia is able to use the technology'. 90 Tailoring assistive technology to the needs of people living with dementia…”

“…59, 90 For example, a controlled study 59 evaluated the impact of a tailored educational intervention, delivered via Skype on an iPad (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA), for older people with both type 2 diabetes and mild cognitive impairment. There was an initial decrease in HbA 1C levels post intervention but this was not sustained at 6 months.…”