Exploring dementia family caregivers’ everyday use and appraisal of technological supports

Block, Laura; Gilmore‐Bykovskyi, Andrea; Jolliff, Anna; Mullen, Shannon; Werner, Nicole E.

doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.06.019

Cited by 18 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…[29][30][31][32][33] Family caregivers of individuals living in LTC may be reluctant to contact staff to inquire about the status of their relatives because of the high workloads experienced by the LTC staff. 9,13,34 Mobile technologies, including smartphone applications, can facilitate communication with staff, 5,[35][36][37][38][39][40] by supporting care coordination and remote care. 6,[41][42][43][44] Mobile technologies can also enhance social interactions with the care recipient and increase the engagement of families in care activities.…”

Section: Background and Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…[53][54][55][56][57][58] Studies have identified that perceived usefulness and familiarity with the technology can promote the adoption of mobile technologies. 37,59 This paper is a subsequent phase of a more extensive study conducted to explore a mobile app's technology acceptance and usability. In the first phase, we evaluated the Mobile Smart Care System (mSCS) for use with health care aides who provide services to older adults.…”

Section: Background and Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Technology Acceptance of a Mobile Application to Support Family Caregivers in a Long-Term Care Facility

et al. 2022

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Background: Family caregivers are unpaid individuals who provide care to people with chronic conditions or disabilities. Family caregivers generally do not have formal care-related training. However, they are an essential source of care. Mobile technologies can benefit family caregivers by strengthening communication with care staff and supporting the monitoring of care recipients. Objective: We conducted a mixed-method study to evaluate the acceptance and usability of mobile technology called the Smart Care System. Methods: Using convenience sampling, we recruited 27 family caregivers to evaluate the mobile Smart Care System. In the quantitative phase, we administered initial and exit questionnaires based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model. In the qualitative phase, we conducted focus groups to explore family caregivers’ perspectives and opinions on the usability of the mobile Smart Care System. With the quantitative data, we employed univariate, bivariate, and partial least squares analyses, and we used content analysis with the qualitative data. Results: We observed a high level of comfort using digital technologies among participants. On average, participants were caregivers for an average of 6.08 years (SD = 6.63), and their mean age was 56.65 years (SD = 11.62). We observed a high level of technology acceptance among family caregivers (7.69, SD = 2.11). Behavioral intention (β = 0.509, p-value = 0.004) and facilitating conditions (β = 0.310, p-value = 0.049) were statistically significant and related to usage behavior. In terms of qualitative results, participants reported that the mobile application supported care coordination and communication with staff and provided peace of mind to family caregivers. Conclusion: The technology showed a high technology acceptance and intention to use among family caregivers in a long-term care setting. Facilitating conditions influenced acceptance. Therefore, it would be important to identify and optimize these conditions to ensure technology uptake.

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Section: Background and Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Background and Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Technology Acceptance of a Mobile Application to Support Family Caregivers in a Long-Term Care Facility

et al. 2022

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“…Oftentimes, these caregivers are unpaid or informal family members or friends who provide care mostly related to activities of daily living [ 3 , 4 ]. Due to the variability in disease progression and the caregiver’s personal needs, family caregivers encounter diverse unmet needs, including challenges related to the physical and emotional deterioration of the people living with dementia [ 5 - 7 ]. Particularly, caregivers of people living with dementia report difficulties related to assisting the care recipient with activities of daily living, identifying the right older adult living services, navigating the financial and legal aspects of caregiving for people living with dementia, and finding relevant and concise information on dementia and dementia caregiving [ 5 - 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to the variability in disease progression and the caregiver’s personal needs, family caregivers encounter diverse unmet needs, including challenges related to the physical and emotional deterioration of the people living with dementia [ 5 - 7 ]. Particularly, caregivers of people living with dementia report difficulties related to assisting the care recipient with activities of daily living, identifying the right older adult living services, navigating the financial and legal aspects of caregiving for people living with dementia, and finding relevant and concise information on dementia and dementia caregiving [ 5 - 7 ]. Due to the multifaceted and individualized burdens that caregivers of people living with dementia face, they are particularly susceptible to experiencing emotional, physical, and financial challenges that increase with disease progression [ 3 , 6 , 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Olera.care Digital Caregiving Assistance Platform for Dementia Caregivers: Preliminary Evaluation Study

Fan,

Hoang,

DuBose

et al. 2024

JMIR Aging

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Background The increasing prevalence of Alzheimer disease and Alzheimer disease–related dementia in the United States has amplified the health care burden and caregiving challenges, especially for caregivers of people living with dementia. A web-based care planning tool, Olera.care, was developed to aid caregivers in managing common challenges associated with dementia care. Objective This study aims to preliminarily evaluate the quality and usability of the Olera.care platform and assess the preferences of using the technology and interests in learning about different older adult care services among caregivers. Methods For interview 1, we aim to understand caregiving needs and let the participants start engaging with the platform. After they engage with the platform, we schedule the second interview and let the participants complete the Mobile Application Rating Scale. The survey also included sociodemographic characteristics, caregiving experiences, communication preferences in technology adoption, and older adult care service use and interests. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the quality and usability of the platform and characteristics of the participants. We conducted 2-sample 2-tailed t tests to examine the differences in the Mobile Application Rating Scale evaluation scores by caregiver characteristics. Results Overall, 30 adult caregivers in Texas completed the evaluation. The majority were aged ≥50 years (25/30, 83%), women (23/30, 77%), White (25/30, 83%), and financially stable (20/30, 67%). The Olera.care platform evaluation showed high satisfaction, with an overall mean rating of 4.57 (SD 0.57) of 5, and scored well in engagement (mean 4.10, SD 0.61), functionality (mean 4.46, SD 0.44), aesthetics (mean 4.58, SD 0.53), and information quality (mean 4.76, SD 0.44) consistently across all participants. A statistically significant difference (P=.02) was observed in functionality evaluation scores by duration of caregiving, with caregivers dedicating more hours to care rating it higher than those providing less care (mean 4.6, SD 0.4 vs mean 4.2, SD 0.5). In addition, caregivers with less caregiving experience reported significantly higher evaluation scores for aesthetics (P=.04) and information quality (P=.03) compared to those with longer years of caregiving. All participants expressed a willingness to recommend the app to others, and 90% (27/30) rated the app overall positively. Most of the participants (21/30, 70%) favored anonymous interactions before receiving personalized feedback and preferred computer browsers over mobile apps. Medical home health services were the most used, with a diverse range of services being used. Caregiver support groups, medical providers, memory care, meal services, and adult day care were among the most desired services for future exploration. Conclusions The Olera.care web-based platform is a practical, engaging, easy-to-use, visually appealing, and informative tool for dementia caregivers. Future development and research are essential to enhance the platform and comprehensively evaluate it among a broader population.

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“…Furthermore, the only research conducted within one's natural environment did not look into the effects of using PARO solely at home as it was a combination of daytime PARO use in a day-care centre and home [13]. Families of EPWD are already using everyday technology such as alarmed sensors and internets but the everyday use of robots are not as common [18,19]. Thus, it is of benefit to consider PARO use, as the use of robots has the potential to contribute greatly to the extension of community living and become one of the solutions to providing high-quality home care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of The Robotic Seal PARO, A Neurological Biofeedback Medical Device, to Elderly Persons with Dementia at Home: An Analysis From Seven Cases

Inoue

Yatsu

Yao

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background: In Japanese society today, many elderly persons with dementia (EPWD) are living at home. This research focused on the family members of EPWD who provide informal care and support. The purpose of this research was (1) to analyse the potential and effectiveness of care provided by the family with the use of the robotic seal PARO, a neurological biofeedback medical device, and (2) to identify and prioritise problems when utilising PARO in the home context. Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods approach involving observational data and interviews. Family members of seven households caring for EPWD were asked to use the seal robot “PARO” as a means to provide care. The family caregivers used PARO at home for more than three times per week, over one to three months. At the initial visit, an individualised purpose of PARO was established. Family members were taught how to operate PARO and how to facilitate PARO use. Research data were collected at initial and subsequent monthly visits, in the form of families’ observational feedback, interviews, and direct assessment of the subjects. Collected data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: Five out of the seven elderly persons reacted positively to PARO and achieved their intervention goals. Acceptance of PARO use depended on the positive interaction observed at the initial encounter, which led to continued interest later on. On the other hand, for the subjects where “encouragement was required to trigger interaction” at the initial encounter, their subsequent interest may either increase or decrease. Furthermore, observed activities with PARO use for all families were conversations and physical touch to PARO. Some families facilitated reminiscence and intellectual activities. Conclusions: The study indicated that the effect of PARO application at home is possibly influenced by the participants' initial level of interest towards PARO. It is still crucial to perform careful observation and assessment of the benefit of PARO before adapting the treatment strategy. The families need specific advice from relevant healthcare professionals, such as occupational therapists, to maximise the use of PARO. This implies that effective robotic care at home requires professional support.

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Exploring dementia family caregivers’ everyday use and appraisal of technological supports

Cited by 18 publications

References 32 publications

Technology Acceptance of a Mobile Application to Support Family Caregivers in a Long-Term Care Facility

Technology Acceptance of a Mobile Application to Support Family Caregivers in a Long-Term Care Facility

The Olera.care Digital Caregiving Assistance Platform for Dementia Caregivers: Preliminary Evaluation Study

Application of The Robotic Seal PARO, A Neurological Biofeedback Medical Device, to Elderly Persons with Dementia at Home: An Analysis From Seven Cases

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