Prompting cognitive assistive technology for multistep tasks in dementia homecare: Testing of mode and sequencing options

Abstract

AbstractFor people living with dementia, information‐processing capabilities and previously acquired knowledge is generally limited. Daily tasks such as making coffee or teeth brushing may become too difficult to complete independently. People with normal cognitive functioning learn about the environment as they move through it with spatial information obtained sequentially, requiring mental activity to process this successive input into a comprehensive understanding of a task. Without this ability, individuals with dementia in many cases then rely on repetitive cuing for tasks from their family member or caregiver. The approach for this project was the evaluation of task prompting for a wearable cognitive assistive technology for support in cueing on for multi‐step home tasks. Choosing meaningful tasks, and breaking them down in a way that a caregiver would usually provide prompting support is not trivial. The physical or environmental context of the task can also affect the flow of the task, and the personality of the person carrying out the task can influence how methodically the prompts are followed. The testing took place in a lab setting set up to represent a one‐bedroom apartment. A sample of older adults 65+ took part in a series of protocols for eight multi‐step tasks and for each task four delivery modes options (written text, audio, still photo, video) and four sequencing modes (auto‐generated, self‐request, one‐time, step by step) which included: kitchen‐ loading the dishwasher, setting the table and making coffee, bedroom‐ making the bed, folding clothes, bathroom‐ brushing teeth, hand washing and face washing. This pre‐testing of system components was performed in order to reduce marginal risks, increase effectiveness, and maximize benefits for the end‐user population of individuals with dementia who will test the device in future projects and the outcomes from this research will ultimately enable the mode and sequencing of task prompting for this populations' frequently changing needs.