Informal Carer Role in the Personalisation of Assistive Solutions Connected to Aspirations of People with Dementia

Abstract

A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. Abstract. The increase in the elderly population over the last thirty years with consequent increase in the number of people living with dementia (PwD) has resulted in a research focus on improving quality-of-life and well-being beyond basic needs, to address psychosocial needs and to provide technological support for these. As part of a UK industry-led, publically supported, project Connecting Assistive Solutions to Aspirations (CASA), research is being conducted to inform the design of assistive technology packages that are aspiration-led. Focus groups were conducted with informal carers (family relatives) of persons with dementia to elicit views on technology use for increasing independence of PwD (with a carer living at home). The focus groups were analysed through thematic analysis and the results have been used to produce personas and scenarios for creation of demonstrator assisted living packages.

Technologies to Support Community-Dwelling Persons With Dementia: A Position Paper on Issues Regarding Development, Usability, Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness, Deployment, and Ethics

“…To develop technologies that are useful and valuable for persons with dementia, it is important to know what kind of assistance is needed. This requires a thorough understanding of the different types of dementia and associated impairments, individual experiences and coping mechanisms, and the continuous changing situation during the dementia “journey.” It is also important to be attentive to needs such as a sense of self-esteem and feeling respected, which are related to higher levels of well-being and quality of life, as highlighted in Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs” [ 25 , 17 ]. People with dementia can express their needs [ 26 ] and preferences [ 27 ] consistently, even in an advanced stage of dementia [ 28 ].…”

Preferences of Informal Carers on Technology Packages to Support Meal Production by People Living with Dementia, Elicited from Personalised AT and ICT Product Brochures

“…However, carers expressed preferences about specific aspects of online shopping, for example, even if they were less positive about smartphones, smartwatches and Apps in general. It is important not to confuse lack of experience with lack of interest and in the phase one interviews [19] it was notable that one carer was positive about the potential of Smart TV, which is a very new technology.…”

“…As seen in Figure 1, assistive technologies can be assessed for satisfaction and non-satisfaction resulting either in good or poor matches to needs and aspirations and may suggest alternative choices or the need for improved designs [19]. In this study, we concentrate on preferences for existing technologies by carers, for use by the people in their care.…”

“…Focus group data was gathered through audio recording, then descriptive and frequency analysis was performed on the transcripts. The broader results of these focus groups were published in more detail elsewhere [19] but are briefly summarised later in this paper along with task relevant details, including respondent quotes.…”

“…Focus group data was gathered through audio recording, then descriptive and frequency analysis was performed on the transcripts. The broader results of these focus groups were published in more detail elsewhere [19] but are briefly summarised later in this paper along with task relevant details, including respondent quotes. During the period of the main CASA project (introduced above) a long list of technologies of 128 products available for purchase in the UK had been compiled based on common areas of consumer products for activities of daily living including both AT and general ICT products.…”