Digital Support for Persons with Cognitive Impairment.

Cognitive impairment may cause difficulties in planning and initiating daily activities, as well as remembering to do what is scheduled. This study investigates the effectiveness of an interactive web-based mobile reminder calendar that sends text messages to the users mobile phone as support in everyday life, for persons with cognitive impairment due to neurological injury/diagnoses. The study has a randomised controlled trail design with data collection at baseline and at follow-up sessions after two and four months. Data collection started in August 2016 and continues until December 2017. The interactive web-based mobile reminder calendar may give the needed support to remind the person and thus increase the ability to perform activities and to be independence in everyday life. Preliminary results will be presented regarding what effect the interactive web-based mobile reminder calendar have for the participants performance of everyday life activities as well as perceived quality of life.

First steps in designing a videophone for people with dementia: identification of users' potentials and the requirements of communication technology.

PURPOSE: To identify, based on the literature, people with dementia's potentials to manage an easy-to-use videophone, and to develop a videophone requirement specification for people with dementia. METHOD: The study is based on the Inclusive Design method, utilising the first two of four phases. Content analyses of literature reviews were used to identify users' potentials for managing a videophone and to gather recommendations regarding communication technology design for the target group. Existing videophones in Sweden were examined regarding potential fit to users with dementia. FINDINGS: This led to detailed identification of cognitive, physical and psychosocial challenges that people with dementia will probably have when using an ordinary telephone or videophone. A requirement specification for videophone design to fit users with dementia was formulated, with the seven principles of Universal Design as a framework. CONCLUSIONS: The requirement specification presented here is aimed at designing a videophone but might also facilitate design of other products for people with dementia, particularly in the field of communication technology. Based on this, further work will focus on developing a design concept and a prototype to be empirically tested by people with dementia and their significant others, i.e. the final two design process phases.

Support in everyday activities with a home-based electronic memory aid for persons with memory impairments.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study was to examine the possibilities of a home-based electronic memory aid with sensors for persons with memory impairments, as support to carry out everyday activities in their own home environments. METHOD: The method involved a single-subject study with a multiple baseline AB design. Five participants identified three activities each that they usually forget to carry out. An electronic memory aid with individually spoken reminders was installed in the participant's home. There were automatic computer registrations of completed activities during the study phase of 12 weeks. Assessments of functioning and quality of life (QoL) were conducted before and after the intervention and at follow-up after 2 months. RESULTS: Four participants improved in completing most of the self-chosen activities when the electronic memory aid was used. Performance and satisfaction with performance and QoL improved, but there was no memory function improvement. There were technical problems with the aid, which had a negative effect for users. CONCLUSIONS: Electronic memory aids have a large potential for supporting persons with cognitive impairments. It is important to conduct follow-up afterwards, because the use of an aid and the need of support change over time and put high demands on technical reliability of the electronic memory aid.

Using electronic aids to daily living after acquired brain injury: a study of the learning process and the usability.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to study the ability of persons with memory impairments after acquired brain injury to learn how to and use electronic aids to daily living (EADL) and to describe changes in function and quality of life. METHOD: Eight participants stayed in two apartments equipped with a set of basic and advanced EADL for either 4 or 6 months during an intervention time of 2 years. The teaching and learning method was influenced by certain principles of errorless learning. Ability to learn to use EADL was measured by structured observations. Function and quality of life were assessed with self-rating questionnaires. RESULTS: Results indicate that the participants learned to use EADL in their everyday activities. They perceived that EADL were very useful and easy to learn. Occupational performance and satisfaction with occupational performance and quality of life was improved. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that EADL may play an important role in facilitating everyday activities and improve satisfaction with occupational performance and quality of life for people with memory impairments. The study indicates the importance of adjusting technology to the user's needs and calls for more consideration for human-technology interaction factors.

Cognitive training in home environment.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation in the patient's home or vocational environment. RESEARCH DESIGN: Pre-post-follow-up design. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Ten outpatients with acquired attention and memory problems received cognitive training three times weekly, for 3 weeks. They received individual attention training with Attention Process Training, training for generalization for everyday activities and education in compensatory strategies for self-selected cognitive problems. Treatment effects were evaluated with neuropsychological and occupational therapy instruments before and after the training and after 3 months on impairment, activity and participation levels. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The results indicated a positive effect on some measures on impairment level, but no differences on activity or participation levels at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that home-based cognitive training improves some attentional and memory functions and facilitates learning of strategies. Future controlled studies are needed to confirm the results and analyse the efficacy of different aspects of home-based training.