Using GPS Technologies with People with Dementia

Abstract

In Norway and other Nordic countries, there is a policy emphasis on using welfare technologies to support people to live at home. For example, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or 'location technologies' are used to support people with dementia and their next of kin with wayfinding. However, the research evidence has not been synthesised, and so the opportunities and challenges presented when using GPS technologies are not clear. This synthesising review examined all available empirical evidence on the use of GPS technologies by people with dementia and their family carers, through a critical disability lens-that is, in terms of protecting a person's right to live in the community and taking the standpoint of the person with dementia (rather than that of a caregiver or health professional). Employing this lens meant that we engaged with the literature in a more critical way than in standard reviews, and consciously looked for evidence of marginalisation. A search of six major English language databases in 2016 identified 23 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Synthesis of the findings led to the identification of three overarching themes: using GPS to stay safe, taking control and the value of GPS data. The review revealed a growing interest in the use of GPS technologies by people with dementia, which indicates that policy implementation is effective. Future work should take a disability-rights approach and focus on the value of using GPS technologies from the perspective of the person with dementia, as the opinions of this group are often overlooked in discussions about welfare technologies.

Mobile Safety Alarms Based on GPS Technology in the Care of Older Adults: Systematic Review of Evidence Based on a General Evidence Framework for Digital Health Technologies

“…RenderX [10][11][12]. The previous reviews provided a broader picture of state-of-the-art research on GPS tracker use in older adult care [10] and for managing wandering behavior among persons with dementia [11].…”

“…Interestingly, no overlap in the included studies was identified between the review by Neubauer et al [11] and this review. However, this review had a small overlap of four studies with a synthesizing review by Bartlett et al [12], which included empirical studies of persons with dementia or their family CGs or both using GPS. A total of 23 studies published in the period 2007-2016 were included, and data were synthesized across three identified themes: using GPS to prevent harm and promote well-being; taking control; and value of GPS data [12].…”

“…However, this review had a small overlap of four studies with a synthesizing review by Bartlett et al [12], which included empirical studies of persons with dementia or their family CGs or both using GPS. A total of 23 studies published in the period 2007-2016 were included, and data were synthesized across three identified themes: using GPS to prevent harm and promote well-being; taking control; and value of GPS data [12]. The review by Bartlett et al [12] found only nontrial evidence and identified a lack of large-scale studies.…”

“…Two previous scoping reviews of tracking technology in the care of older adults conducted by Røhne et al [10] and Neubauer et al [11] identified limited evidence in peer-reviewed scientific studies for the effects of GPS use on health, quality, and cost-efficiency among users and spouses and in the health and welfare sector [10] as well as pointed out that further research was needed to identify technologies with high levels of evidence for effectiveness and usability [11]. Moreover, a synthesizing review of empirical evidence on the broader use of GPS technologies by home-dwelling persons with dementia and their family caregivers (CGs), conducted by Bartlett et al [12], found only nontrial evidence and demonstrated the lack of large-scale studies. As GPS devices are currently being implemented in social care, it is important to investigate whether the evidence of their clinical effectiveness remains insufficient.…”

The Policies of Provision of Assistive and Welfare Technology—A Literature Review

“…The different variations that have emerged from the analysis include environmental support and space, settings and infrastructure. In the Nordic countries, the policy emphasises using AT/WT to enable and support older people to stay and live at home [25]. For example, "smart homes" might enable older people with different impairments to participate in the daily living and increasingly use smart technology to support them with the connected technologies integrated into the buildings [26].…”