Feasibility of Telehealth-Delivered Home Safety Evaluations for Caregivers of Clients With Dementia

Abstract

Video telehealth can increase access to home-based care, thus allowing older adults to maintain functional independence and age-in-place. This is particularly salient for persons with dementia whose cognitive changes increase home safety risk. Little is known about the technological and safety challenges of in-home assessment via video. This feasibility study explored the process and resource requirements of a remotely delivered telehealth occupational therapy home safety evaluation from a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) site. A total of 10 caregivers of veterans with dementia received home safety evaluations using videoconferencing technology using a variety of portable computing devices. Most telehealth evaluations experienced technological difficulties, but formal technical support was only required twice. Videoconferencing is a feasible service delivery option for home safety evaluations; however, infrastructure must support technological needs and client or provider gaps in knowledge. Implications for non-VHA settings and other interventions using videoconferencing are discussed.

Rapid Integration of Home Telehealth Visits Amidst COVID‐19: What Do Older Adults Need to Succeed?

“…Indeed, a recent study estimated that 38% of Medicare beneficiaries were unready to engage in home telehealth 19 . However, when given the opportunity, many older patients can effectively engage in telehealth 13,20‐25 . We hypothesized that telehealth might improve access to care, but we were unsure if our patients were interested or if they had the technology and confidence to attempt a home telehealth visit 1 …”

“…19 However, when given the opportunity, many older patients can effectively engage in telehealth. 13,[20][21][22][23][24][25] We hypothesized that telehealth might improve access to care, but we were unsure if our patients were interested or if they had the technology and confidence to attempt a home telehealth visit. 1 We were specifically interested in telehealth visits that occurred in patients' homes, with synchronous audio and video.…”

Caregiver Satisfaction with a Video Telehealth Home Safety Evaluation for Dementia

“…All variables sorted by Veteran MMSE. Identification numbers listed are from our manuscript relate to technical feasibility (Gately et al, 2020). Three of the four instances of lower caregiver satisfaction (disagree or strongly disagree) for caregivers 8, 9, and 10 appeared to relate to the environmental factor of technological glitches.…”

“…The primary aims of the initial study were to examine feasibility of the telehealth encounter. Complete study details are reported elsewhere ( Gately et al, 2020 ). Here we examine caregiver satisfaction with the video telehealth home safety evaluation, through in-depth examination of caregiver satisfaction relative to person, environment, and occupation (PEO) factors.…”

Occupational Therapy's Role in Matching Handlers and Assistance Dogs with Occupational Needs

“…Neither CST and CCI incorporate home evaluations in their interviews; occupational therapists can use telehealth to communicate with a client from a different location. This delivery of care can address the clients' natural environment, while reducing staff travel (Gately, Trudeau, & Moo, 2020).…”