Abstract
BackgroundThe number of people living with dementia is rapidly increasing. With dementia’s impact on memory, communication, and self-identity, it is important to identify ways of meeting individual needs of diagnosed individuals and their caregivers. This study will test a new intervention, SENSE-GARDEN, that integrates autobiographical music, films, pictures, and scents with innovative technology to create an immersive environment tailored specifically for the individual.ObjectiveThe SENSE-GARDEN study is an Active Assisted Living Program–funded multicenter project. The primary objective of the study is to assess whether a personalized, innovative technology-based intervention can improve the well-being of older adults living with moderate to severe dementia. The study will also assess whether the intervention can improve coping and reduce burden in caregivers.MethodsA controlled before-after study design will be used. There will be 3 sites in 3 trial countries: Belgium, Norway, and Portugal. A total of 55 people with dementia (PWDs) will be recruited. All eligible participants for the study will be randomized into the intervention or control group. For the first three months of the study, all participants will receive the SENSE-GARDEN intervention. For the final month of the study, the intervention group will continue visits to the SENSE-GARDEN, and the control group will discontinue visits. A mixed-methods approach will be used, including the use of standardized outcome measures, quantitative physiological data, and qualitative interview data.ResultsThe trials commenced recruitment in August 2019, and all data are expected to be collected by the end of May 2020. A user-centered design process is underway, with results from the first phase of user interviews indicating that people with mild cognitive impairment, family caregivers, and professional caregivers consider the SENSE-GARDEN to be a potentially valuable tool in providing numerous benefits to dementia care. Feasibility testing of the SENSE-GARDEN has been completed and results are expected to be published in October 2019.ConclusionsFindings from the SENSE-GARDEN trials will provide insights into the use of technology for personalizing interventions to the PWD. This will have potential implications on not only dementia research, but it may also have influences on care practice.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/14096
Highlights
BackgroundDementia is an umbrella term for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases that most often affect memory, behavior, and communicative abilities [1]
A user-centered design process is underway, with results from the first phase of user interviews indicating that people with mild cognitive impairment, family caregivers, and professional caregivers consider the SENSE-GARDEN to be a potentially valuable tool in providing numerous benefits to dementia care
Feasibility testing of the SENSE-GARDEN has been completed and results are expected to be published in October 2019
Summary
BackgroundDementia is an umbrella term for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases that most often affect memory, behavior, and communicative abilities [1]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for action on dementia, presenting it as a public health priority at a global level [1] This action includes a call for research to identify ways of supporting the needs of people living with dementia, their caregivers, and society in the context of costs, understanding, and awareness. A person’s ability to communicate with others progressively worsens during the course of dementia, which can lead to the individual engaging in problem behaviors as an expression of unmet needs [3,4]. This can result in an increase in caregiver burden for family members and residential care staff. This study will test a new intervention, SENSE-GARDEN, that integrates autobiographical music, films, pictures, and scents with innovative technology to create an immersive environment tailored for the individual
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