Technology for people with dementia

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Technology for people with dementia

• It works, why arent people using it?

Tim Adlam Bath Institute of Medical
Engineering School for Health, University of
Bath t.d.adlam_at_bath.ac.uk www.bime.org.uk
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UK / Canada Collaboration on the Implementation
of Technology for Dementia

• Two 1½ day workshops
• Toronto and Bath in 2008/09
• 10 Delegates from each country
• Academics (OT, engineering, dementia care,
  outcome measurement)
• Industry (ICT, Housing)
• Health (Epidemiology, OT)
• Funded jointly by EPSRC / CIHRIA / Government of
  Canada

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Outline

• Awareness
• Evidence
• Skills and Knowledge
• Technology transfer
• Availability

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Awareness do people know about it?

• Universities?
• NHS?
• Professions?
• Local authorities?
• Housing providers?
• People with dementia?
• Who is diagnosed?

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Awareness do people know about it?

• Universities?
• Some awareness
• Publications
• Conference presentations
• NHS
• Some awareness
• Local authorities?
• Some awareness
• Pilot telecare schemes
• Housing providers?
• Some awareness
• Telecare installed
• People with dementia and their families?
• Very little awareness
• AT Dementia website
• What people can find

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Evidence does it work?

• We think so

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Evidence does it work?

• We think it works
• Gloucester Smart House
• Safe at Home project
• Deptford and Bristol evaluations
• ENABLE
• COACH
• CIRCA
• Preventative technology grant outcomes
• (Whole System Demonstrator)
• But we dont KNOW

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Cochrane Systematic Review 2007

• social alarms, electronic assistive devices,
  telecare social alert platforms, environmental
  control systems, automated home environments and
  'ubiquitous homes'.
• As with many new technologies, smart home
  technologies are often used without first testing
  if they are effective. This review aimed to
  determine what effect any type of smart home
  technologies have on people. The review produced
  a significant volume of literature on the use of
  smart technologies within health care, but there
  were no studies testing their effectiveness. The
  effects of smart technologies to support people
  in their homes are not known. Better quality
  research is needed.
• Smart home technologies for health and social
  care support
• Martin S, Kelly G, Kernohan WG, McCreight B,
  Nugent C

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Skills and Knowledge

• Do practitioners have the knowledge and skills
  needed to apply technology to dementia care?

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Three Knowledge Gaps

• Dementia care provider
• What can technology do
• How do I apply technology to dementia care?
• How do I obtain it?
• What support does it need?
• Technology provider
• How do I work in a dementia care context?
• How should technology be designed to be useable
  by people with dementia?
• Family with dementia
• Is technology relevant?
• How do we obtain technology we can afford?
• How do we know what we need?

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Skills The Application of Knowledge

• Courses?
• None on dementia and technology
• OTs and social workers
• We know there is technology available, but
• How do I assess for it?
• Where do I find it?
• How do I use it?

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Technology transfer

• Translating technology from laboratory to living
  room

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Technology transfer

• Much research in UK and international
  universities
• Little of it has reached the market place
• Why?
• Little interest from existing telecare providers
• Little drive to transfer technology in this area
  from universities
• Some exceptions
• CIRCA
• Forget-me-not
• AT Dementia

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Availability

• How can assistive technology for people with
  dementia be obtained?

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Availability Sources of technology

• Directories
• Web based directories
• Community equipment stores?
• None / Very little
• Specialist technology providers
• Telecare available
• A little assistive technology
• Equipment catalogues
• Small dementia sections with stand-alone
  technology
• Retail outlets
• None / very little
• Internet outlets
• A little

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Areas to focus on

• Awareness
• People need to know that it exists and how to
  find it
• Evidence
• What is its impact?
• Skills and Knowledge
• What do people need to know?
• Technology transfer
• Get it out of the lab
• Availability
• It has to be able to be bought