Background

This is an in-depth, qualitative study of the process that takes place when a person with mild stage dementia is to become a user of assistive technology. The aim is to explore the interaction between the person with dementia, the home context, the assistive technology and significant others.

Methods

Data was collected through observations and in-depth interviews on repeated occasions in the homes of persons with dementia. Informants were persons with dementia and, depending on each case, other significant persons (e.g. family, neighbours, occupational therapists, home helpers). Each person with dementia together with the significant others that were related to him/her was considered as one case. Theoretical sampling guided the data collection and the analysis followed the principles of Grounded Theory. The three included cases encompassed a total of eleven informants and eight assistive technologies.

Results

Preliminary results indicate that the significant others in each case perceived the assistive technology in different ways and had different views about how it should be used and for what purposes, which also led them to take different steps of action. For example, significant others tried to help the person with dementia to interact with the assistive technology in a way that interfered with the person's own strategies. Moreover, the persons with dementia used assistive technology such as electronic calendar to keep up with forthcoming events but also, even more important to them, to recall what had happened and how they had felt in certain situations. This was in contrast to the significant others who expected the assistive technology to support the prospective memory rather than the episodic memory. Furthermore, the results showed that minor adjustments could profoundly change the meaning and usability of the technology, for example, the placement of it, or combining the assistive technology with another source of information.

Conclusions

Based on these preliminary results, assistive technology should not be viewed or introduced as ready-to-use objects without adjustments to fit the user's needs and situation. The process of implementation needs time and attention, including consideration of the expectations and perceptions of the significant others of the person with dementia.