Working together with persons with early stage dementia and their family members to design a user-friendly technology-based support service

Abstract

This article describes how researchers, practitioners and technicians in West Sweden worked together with older people with early stage dementia and their family members to develop a user-friendly technology-based information, education and support service, based on the generic ACTION participatory design model. Ways of working in partnership with older people with early stage dementia and their family members are explored, and key lessons learned are highlighted. The overriding message is that elders with early stage dementia can be actively involved throughout the entire research and development process. Essential prerequisites are time and ongoing support by skilled practitioners and family members. Preliminary findings reveal that older people with early stage dementia can learn and benefit from user-friendly technology, especially when used together with others in a similar situation.

Designing with Dementia: Guidelines for Participatory Design together with Persons with Dementia

“…Hanson [22] performed a study on collaboratively designing a life book tool together with persons with early stage dementia. Hanson focuses on having small groups of persons with dementia (a maximum of 8, ideally 6) in design sessions (de5) and suggests to foresee enough time for getting to know each other, being able to be flexible and repeat the content at hand during sessions (de6).…”

Computing technologies for reflective, creative care of people with dementia

“…For example, Hanson et al [2007] report positive results with a digital support service for people with early dementia as long as core usability problems are resolved. Wallace et al [2012] report the use of digital devices designed as furniture pieces to provide notions of home, intimacy and possessions with which to develop a sense of personhood.…”

Perceptions, Preferences, and Acceptance of Information and Communication Technologies in Older-Adult Community Care Settings in Ireland: A Case-Study and Ranked-Care Program Analysis

“…More importantly, ease of use has been associated with the effectiveness of the outcome of the technology use (Rogers and Fisk 2003;Eisma et al 2004), in that the more usable a piece of technology is then the more likely the user will obtain the intended benefits from its purpose. This relationship takes on new importance when the technology is providing some form of health and social care service (Hanson et al 2007). …”