Experiences of using Bestic, an eating aid for people with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

This article reports on the results of a pilot study exploring if and how the meal situations of persons with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) in need of help and support during meal situations was affected by an eating aid. This article also analyzes how PWIDs and their assistants perceived their experiences of using an eating aid during meal situations. Data for the study were collected in interviews with PWIDs and their assistants. The results are presented in five themes: Independence in the meal situation, Motivation to use the eating aid, Functions of the eating aid, Social aspects of using the eating aid and Design corresponding to intellectual disability. The eating aid's function, user-friendliness and the assistant's attitudes appear to be crucial for using the eating aid. Another important aspect is the introductory and training phase which must be fundamentally adapted to suit PWIDs learning and understanding abilities. When these aspects are controlled, the eating aid can be a tool for increased independence during meal situations for PWIDs who are unable to move their arms or hands.

Working with Robotic Animals in Dementia Care: The Significance of Caregivers’ Competences

“…Many caregivers instead found the robots to be helpful tools when used in a manner attentive to the residents' needs. The result is therefore in line with several other studies that show the benefit of welfare technologies when caregivers make use of their understanding of the residents (Talbott & Brewer 2016), along with their authentic interest in helping others (Fejes & Nicoll 2010), and their continuous tinkering with the machines (see, e.g., Beedholm et al 2015;Dag et al 2017;Hansen & Grosen 2019).…”

“…Other studies emphasize caregivers' ability to match technology with individuals who will use them to 'provide dignified support to the lives of elderly [persons] through affirmative, person-oriented and relational care' (la Cour & Højlund 2019, p. 70). This demand for caregivers' local and practical knowledge has been observed in relation to feeding assistive robotics (Dag et al 2017;Nickelsen 2019), robotic bathtubs (Beedholm et al 2015), and wash-and-dry toilets (Hansen & Grosen 2019). In these examples, the technological devices would be useless without staff members' active engagement and competence as caregivers.…”

“…In addition to caregivers' competence, studies show that technological artifacts demand continuous tinkering by care workers who understand how the technology can be used in the complex and specific setting of everyday care work; for instance, by (dis) assembling the robotic device and doing minor repair work (Dag et al 2017). The tinkering can often take more time than the time saved by the technology (Ajslev 2019).…”

Understandings of participation in daily activity services among people with intellectual disabilities: A pedagogical sociocultural perspective

“…To be working, thus, means individuals are contributing to a greater whole and being part of something (National Board of Health and Welfare, 2010). This sense of belonging is also important for people with IDs, who face the risk of being marginalized or viewed as abnormal and deviant by individuals without IDs (Dag et al, 2017; Eggleton et al, 1999; Grunewald, 2010; Patterson and Pegg, 2009; Skär, 2010).…”

Description of Daily Living Skills and Independence: A Cohort from a Multidisciplinary Down Syndrome Clinic

“…Some features which predict factors related to independence include: physical fitness tests (manual dexterity, balance, comfortable and fast gait speed, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness) and changes in activities of daily living (ADLs), predictive for a decline in ability in ID [15], and a poor social network was associated with worse health outcomes in older adults in the general population [16]. A few interventions to improve independence have been studied which include aids such as videos or digital technology: video prompting improves grocery shopping in ID [17], eating aids improve independent eating in ID [18], staff trained to teach those with ID to promote self-management [19], video self-modeling improves independence [20], and the use of tech and remote support services improve independence [21].…”