Informal Carers’ Experience of Assistive Technology Use in Dementia Care at Home: A Systematic Review

BMC Geriatrics

Sriram, V., Jenkinson, C., et al. (2019).

BMC Geriatrics, 19(1), 160.

This systematic review explores carepartner reports regarding the use of assistive technologies in the at-home care of people with dementia.

University of Oxford (United Kingdom)

From database inception to June 2018

Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method designs

56

Carepartners of people with dementia (PWD) reported the following experiences regarding assistive technology (AT) use: <br /> <ul> <li>Some carepartners endorsed that the use of AT to support leisure, social interaction, memory, orientation, safety, and security assisted in strengthening their relationships with PWD. Others reported strained relationships if difficulty using the AT arose or felt as if AT replaces a "person component of caring" (p. 15).</li> <li>Mixed results were noted regarding the impact of AT on independence and autonomy. Some carepartners endorsed greater availability of personal time following the use of AT, while others reported fears that AT use would cause further cognitive decline due to lack of cognitive stimulation or that the AT did not allow for PWD to be left at home independently.</li> <li>Mixed reports were noted regarding impact of AT on quality of life (QoL). Carepartners of PWD who were able to independently use their AT devices reported increased QoL, particularly in cases of carepartners living remotely to their loved one with dementia. However, when PWD were unable to use the devices independently, the carepartners expressed worsened QoL.</li> <li>Carepartners reported that some AT, particularly those with tracking capabilities, supported safety and carepartner reassurance, with mixed reports regarding impact on independence.</li> <li>Carepartners endorsed the need to balance personal reassurance, security, and autonomy of PWD during device selection, ensuring that the PWD are involved as much as possible in device selection.</li> <li>Carepartners attitude regarding the device and willingness to assist with device use and troubleshooting was essential to use of AT.</li> <li>Carepartners reported increased difficulty convincing PWD to use monitoring and safety devices compared to leisure and social devices.</li> <li>"There was a general feeling among [carepartners] that information regarding AT should be provided early in the process of diagnosis and support available to the person living with dementia, especially as the progress of dementia was unpredictable" (p. 18).</li> </ul>