Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Digital Health

Background:

• Maintaining out-of-home engagement is vital for aging adults' health and social connection.
• People with dementia (PLWD) often reduce participation due to accessibility and safety concerns, with technology sometimes undermining autonomy.
• Existing tech solutions for PLWD focus on tracking, potentially neglecting ethical collaboration and supported decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically design a smart insole intervention to empower PLWD in out-of-home activities.
• To facilitate collaborative care practices between PLWD and their care partners.
• To address the need for digital health innovations that prioritize PLWD autonomy, dignity, and ethical decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Employed an expanded development phase of the complex interventions framework.
• Systematically designed a smart insole intervention through co-creation with knowledge users.
• Integrated theory, evidence, and user insights into the intervention design process.

Main Results:

• Developed intervention principles focused on empowerment and cognitive accessibility for PLWD.
• Hypothesized mechanisms include dyadic care negotiation and technology adoption.
• Projected outcomes include enhanced out-of-home participation and improved dyadic care collaboration.

Conclusions:

• A structured, evidence-based approach facilitates the translation of research into actionable interventions.
• Smart insoles offer a promising digital health solution for PLWD.
• This technology can foster empowerment and dignity while promoting ethical, collaborative care.