The Perspectives of Professional Caregivers on Implementing Audio-Based Technology in Residential Dementia Care.

Maarten Houben,Inge Bongers,Berry Eggen,Rens Brankaert,Gail Kenning

doi:10.3390/ijerph17176333

Abstract

Music and familiar everyday sounds can be meaningful for people with dementia by providing benefits such as evoking memories and emotions or prompting social interactions with caregivers or relatives. Motivated by this potential, researchers and designers are investigating how to leverage these beneficial effects of sound in care environments through audio-based technology. However, there is a gap in the knowledge of how audio-based technology can be successfully implemented within everyday care practice. In this paper, we present the outcome of three participatory workshops with 18 professional caregivers to explore how audio-based technology can add value to existing care processes and activities in residential dementia care. During the participatory workshops, professional caregivers (1) mapped existing care activities; (2) linked findings in research with practice, and (3) designed scenarios for the Vita sound cushion. Care professionals indicate how audio-based technology can support existing care practice by influencing the mood of residents and by supporting social interaction during moments of care, daytime activities, or situational sessions. This study bridges research findings with insights from practice, contributing to a shared understanding of opportunities for embedding audio-based technology in dementia care. These opportunities motivate future research to implement and evaluate audio-based technology in residential dementia care.

Highlights

Dementia is a societal health challenge, as the global population is aging and the number of incidences rises [1]
The added value of audio-based technology (ABT) in the residential dementia care process as ABT can provide rest and relieve from stress during the transition between activities, can initiate social connection during everyday care tasks; and can relieve boredom by supporting daytime activities and situational social experiences in the care space and how the successful integration of ABT in residential care requires a person-centered approach adapted to activities and habits specific to a care unit or healthcare team and tailored to the residents’ needs and preferences by exploring their individual responses
We have explored the integration of audio-based technologies in dementia care by consulting the expertise of 18 professional caregivers working in residential dementia care during three participatory workshops

Summary

Introduction

Dementia is a societal health challenge, as the global population is aging and the number of incidences rises [1]. Without a cure and with a lack of effective pharmacological interventions [2], there is an increasing need for nonpharmacological alternatives to increase the quality of the everyday lives of people with dementia [3]. Researchers from various disciplines have demonstrated the beneficial effects of music for people with dementia [4,5,6,7]. Music can reduce stress and agitated behavior [8] and can positively influence residents’ emotional states and mood in residential dementia care [5,9]. Music from a person’s past can evoke autobiographical. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 6333; doi:10.3390/ijerph17176333 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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