OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate experimentally that an assistive technology (AT) intervention improves older AT users’ activity performance and satisfaction with activity performance, and decreases their caregivers’ sense of burden.
DESIGN
A delayed intervention, randomized control trial. Baseline data were collected on 44 community-dwelling, AT user-caregiver dyads in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Montreal, Quebec. The primary outcome measures for AT users were the satisfaction and accomplishment scales from the Assessment of Life Habits. The primary outcome measure for caregivers was the Caregiver Assistive Technology Outcome Measure which assessed burden associated with dyad-identified problematic activities.
RESULTS
Compared to the delayed intervention group, assistance users in the immediate intervention group reported significantly increased satisfaction with activity performance (p<.001), and improved accomplishment scores (p =.014). Informal caregivers in the immediate intervention group experienced significantly decreased burden with the dyad-identified, problematic activity (p=.013). Participants in the delayed intervention group experienced similar benefits following the intervention.
CONCLUSIONS
This is the first experimental study to demonstrate that the provision of AT decreases caregiver burden. If confirmed and extended by subsequent research, the findings have significant policy and practice implications and may enable health-care providers to advocate for improved access to AT provision and the related follow-up services.