The use of everyday technology by people with dementia living alone: Mapping out the difficulties

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Nygård ◽  
S. Starkhammar
Keyword(s):  
Living Alone ◽  
People With Dementia

scholarly journals Future outlook of people living alone with early-stage dementia and their non-resident relatives and friends who support them

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Heaton ◽  
Anthony Martyr ◽  
Sharon M. Nelis ◽  
Ivana S. Marková ◽  
Robin G. Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Temporal Orientation ◽  
Future Outlook ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Future ◽  
Framework Approach

Abstract Little is known about the experiences of people living alone with dementia in the community and their non-resident relatives and friends who support them. In this paper, we explore their respective attitudes and approaches to the future, particularly regarding the future care and living arrangements of those living with dementia. The study is based on a qualitative secondary analysis of interviews with 24 people living alone with early-stage dementia in North Wales, United Kingdom, and one of their relatives or friends who supported them. All but four of the dyads were interviewed twice over 12 months (a total of 88 interviews). In the analysis, it was observed that several people with dementia expressed the desire to continue living at home for ‘as long as possible’. A framework approach was used to investigate this theme in more depth, drawing on concepts from the existing studies of people living with dementia and across disciplines. Similarities and differences in the future outlook and temporal orientation of the participants were identified. The results support previous research suggesting that the future outlook of people living with early-stage dementia can be interpreted in part as a response to their situation and a way of coping with the threats that it is perceived to present, and not just an impaired view of time. Priorities for future research are highlighted in the discussion.

scholarly journals Living Alone with Mild-To-Moderate Dementia: Findings from the IDEAL Cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 1207-1216
Author(s):  
Linda Clare ◽  
Anthony Martyr ◽  
Catherine Henderson ◽  
Laura Gamble ◽  
Fiona E. Matthews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Living Situation ◽  
Care Services ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Ideal

Background: A significant proportion of people with dementia live alone, but little is known about their specific needs. Objective: To understand the profile of people living alone with mild-to-moderate dementia in the UK and identify any systematic differences associated with living situation. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1,541 people with mild-to-moderate dementia and 1,277 caregivers participating in the IDEAL cohort at the first wave of assessment. Results: There were 1,256 (81.5%) people with dementia living with others and 285 (18.5%) living alone, of whom 51 (3% of whole sample) reported little or no informal support. There were relatively few differences associated with living situation and odds ratios were generally small. People living alone were older on average, and more likely to be female, than those living with others. Those living alone were more likely to have higher cognitive ability and self-reported functional ability, and more social contact with those from other households. They were also lonelier, expressed less satisfaction with life, and used home care services and equipment more. There were no differences in symptoms, mood, quality of life, or well-being. Conclusion: The findings support the view that it is possible to ‘live well’ with mild-to-moderate dementia while living alone, given appropriate support, including home care and equipment. Nevertheless, it is important to consider how those living alone may be supported to have a more satisfactory experience, and how health and social care services can best respond to their needs.

scholarly journals ‘It's our pleasure, we count cars here’: an exploration of the ‘neighbourhood-based connections’ for people living alone with dementia

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elzana Odzakovic ◽  
Agneta Kullberg ◽  
Ingrid Hellström ◽  
Andrew Clark ◽  
Sarah Campbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
International Study ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Network Mapping

AbstractThe extent of social isolation experienced by people living with dementia who reside in the community has been well acknowledged, yet little is known about how people living alone with dementia maintain neighbourhood-based connections. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of people with dementia who live alone, focusing upon how they establish social networks and relationships in a neighbourhood context, and how they are supported to maintain this social context within everyday life. Multiple data collection methods were used including, semi-structured interviews, walking interviews, guided home tours and social network mapping, which were conducted with 14 community-dwelling people living alone with dementia (11 women and three men) situated across the three international study sites in England, Scotland and Sweden. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The analysis revealed four main themes: (a) making the effort to stay connected; (b) befriending by organisations and facilitated friendships; (c) the quiet neighbourhood atmosphere; and (d) changing social connections. The analysis suggests that people with dementia who live alone were active agents who took control to find and maintain relationships and social networks in the neighbourhood. Our findings indicate the need to raise awareness about this specific group in both policy and practice, and to find creative ways to help people connect through everyday activities and by spontaneous encounters in the neighbourhood.

scholarly journals 169Intensive Homecare Packages; Are they Feasible for Supporting People with Dementia Living Alone?

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (Suppl_3) ◽  
pp. iii13-iii59
Author(s):  
Karen Neylon ◽  
Fiona Keogh ◽  
Maria Pierce ◽  
Padraic Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Living Alone ◽  
People With Dementia

scholarly journals The application of an information support robot to reduce agitation in an older adult with Alzheimer’s disease living alone in a community dwelling: a case study

2021 ◽  
pp. 156918612110050
Author(s):  
Jumpei Mizuno ◽  
Ken Sadohara ◽  
Misato Nihei ◽  
Shinichi Onaka ◽  
Yuko Nishiura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Time Courses

Objective/background: Agitation is a common behaviour of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Although healing robots have previously been used for alleviating agitation for people with dementia in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, its effects remain unclear whether an information-support robot capable of disseminating information with user needs may have similar effects when it is applied in community dwellings. This study was to investigate the effects of information-support robots for reducing agitation in older people with AD residing alone in community-dwellings. Methods One participant with AD who lived alone in a community-dwelling was recruited. Participant’s frequencies, durations, and time courses of four patterns of agitation at home at baseline and during intervention were analysed. In this study, agitation was defined as: (a) restlessness going to the corridor (RLtoC), (b) restlessness going to the toilet (RLtoT), (c) restlessness going to the entrance (RLtoE), and (d) restlessness going to multiple places (RLtoMP). In the intervention phase, the information-support robot disseminated daily schedule or date information to the participant. Results RLtoC and RLtoMP were significantly reduced in frequency during the intervention. The durations of each episode of RLtoT and RLtoMP in the intervention were slightly reduced than those at the baseline. There were no differences in time courses of episodes of RLtoC and RLtoMP after the intervention. Conclusion This case study showed that information-support robot was useful to alleviate agitation of an older adult with AD living alone in a community-dwelling. Further study is warranted.

scholarly journals The consequences of COVID-19 lockdown for formal and informal resource utilization among home-dwelling people with dementia: results from the prospective PAN.DEM study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarja Vislapuu ◽  
Renira C. Angeles ◽  
Line I. Berge ◽  
Egil Kjerstad ◽  
Marie H. Gedde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Formal Care ◽  
Home Nursing ◽  
Clinical Variables ◽  
Link Type ◽  
People With Dementia

Abstract Background COVID-19 isolated home-dwelling people with dementia (PwD) from home care services, respite care, and daytime activities. We aimed to investigate the consequences of these restrictions on informal (family, friends) and formal (homecare staff) resource utilization among co-residing (e.g., spouses) and visiting caregivers (e.g., children). Methods 105 PwD (≥65 years old) and their caregivers were included in the prospective PANdemic in DEMentia (PAN.DEM) study, which was initiated when the ongoing stepped-wedge, cluster randomized [email protected] trial (N = 438) was temporarily halted due to the pandemic. Primary outcome was change in resource utilization assessed by the Resource Utilization in Dementia Care (RUD) instrument in pre- (12 Dec. 2019 to 11 Mar. 2020) and during the lockdown periods (20 April 2020 to 15 May 2020). Degree of cognitive impairment was assessed by Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), and physical functioning and independent living skills by Physical Self-Maintenance Scale and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale. Associations between informal and formal care utilization, socio-demographics, and clinical variables were assessed by descriptive statistics and Ordinary Least Squares models (OLS). Results Mean age for PwD was 81.8 years; 61% were female; 45.6% lived alone, and the mean MMSE score was 20.8 (SD ± 3.7). PwD with co-residents (44%) were younger (78.4 years) than those who were living alone (84.5 years; P < 0.001). During the first 2 months of lockdown, PwD missed on average 20.5 h of formal care in a month (P < 0.001) leading to an approximately 100% increase in informal care, which was particularly pronounced in personal hygiene (6.9 vs. 11.4 days in a month, P < 0.001) and supervision (9.2 vs. 17.6 days in a month; P < 0.001). Visiting caregivers increased by 1.9 days (SD ± 11.5), but co-residing caregivers increased their number of days providing ADL by approximately 7 days per month (β = 6.9; CI, 0.39–13.1, P < 0.05) after adjusting for PwD and caregiver demographics and clinical variables. Decrease in home nursing care was particularly visible for PwD living alone (− 6.1 vs. -1.3 h per month, P = 0.005). Higher cognitive function (β = − 0.64, CI, − 1.26 – 0.02, P = 0.044) was associated with reduction in home nursing service during the lockdown. Conclusion The care situation for PwD changed dramatically in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for those living alone who received less support from homecare services and visiting caregivers. For future crises and the forthcoming post-pandemic period, health authorities must plan better and identify and prioritize those in greatest need. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04043364.

scholarly journals Can extra care housing support the changing needs of older people living with dementia?

Dementia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1492-1508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Chester Evans ◽  
Teresa Atkinson ◽  
Ailsa Cameron ◽  
Eleanor K Johnson ◽  
Randall Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
Acceptable Quality ◽  
Extra Care Housing

With over two-thirds of people with dementia living in the community and one-third of those living alone, it is important to consider the future housing needs of this population, particularly as symptoms of cognitive impairment increase. Policy in England has focused on enabling people living with dementia to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, often with the support of a family carer. However, many people struggle to maintain an acceptable quality of life in their own homes as their dementia advances, often due to the design limitations of mainstream housing and the challenge of finding specialist domiciliary care that is affordable and of sufficient quality. Extra care housing offers a model that aims to support older people living in their own apartments, whilst also offering specialist person-centred care as and when it is needed. This paper reports on a longitudinal project that explored how extra care housing can respond to the changing social care needs of residents, including those living with dementia. Participants included residents and staff from four extra care housing schemes, one of which was a specialist dementia scheme, in two regions of England. Interviews were carried with 51 residents across 4 rounds at 5 month intervals between October 2015 and June 2017. Interviews were also carried out with 7 managers, 20 care staff and 2 local authority commissioners of housing for older people. Key factors included person-centred care and support, flexible commissioning and staffing, appropriate design of the environment and suitable location of the scheme within the wider community. The challenge of delivering services that addresses these issues during a period of reduced public spending is acknowledged. Further research is suggested to compare different approaches to supporting people with dementia, including integrated and separated accommodation, and different stages of dementia.

Real-time detection and motivation of eating activity in elderly people with dementia using Pose Estimation with TensorFlow and OpenCV.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 28-34
Author(s):  
Mhamed Nour
Keyword(s):  
Elderly People ◽  
Pose Estimation ◽  
Estimation Procedure ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Ethical Aspect ◽  
Activity Detection ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Human Activity Detection ◽  
User Friendly

The objective of this research is to automatically detect the intake of meals for elderly people with dementia living alone by using a Pose Estimation procedure with TensorFlow and OpenCV. Such service based on an Artificial Intelligence product will require minimum intervention of the caregiver or a person as medical support.    We proposed a method for the automatic eating activity detection. We will use this approach for human activity detection in general, for instance monitoring the security and the protection of the patient, automatic motivation of the patient to eat in case no eating detection has been done. The choice of appropriate AI assistive technology was done to satisfy both the elderly people with neurodegenerative disorders and the caregiver, to verify the ethical aspect, simplify design, optimize code, and improve user friendly aspects. 

Decision Trajectories in Dementia Care Networks: Decisions and Related Key Events

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1039-1071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leontine Groen-van de Ven ◽  
Carolien Smits ◽  
Karen Oldewarris ◽  
Marijke Span ◽  
Jan Jukema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Care Planning ◽  
Shared Decision ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Advanced Stages ◽  
Advance Care ◽  
Key Events ◽  
Insight Into

This prospective multiperspective study provides insight into the decision trajectories of people with dementia by studying the decisions made and related key events. This study includes three waves of interviews, conducted between July 2010 and July 2012, with 113 purposefully selected respondents (people with beginning to advanced stages of dementia and their informal and professional caregivers) completed in 12 months (285 interviews). Our multilayered qualitative analysis consists of content analysis, timeline methods, and constant comparison. Four decision themes emerged—managing daily life, arranging support, community living, and preparing for the future. Eight key events delineate the decision trajectories of people with dementia. Decisions and key events differ between people with dementia living alone and living with a caregiver. Our study clarifies that decisions relate not only to the disease but to living with the dementia. Individual differences in decision content and sequence may effect shared decision-making and advance care planning.

scholarly journals ‘Guid times wi the bad times’: The meanings and experiences of befriending for people living alone with dementia

Dementia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 147130122110244
Author(s):  
Jane Andrew ◽  
Heather Wilkinson ◽  
Seamus Prior
Keyword(s):  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
National Strategy ◽  
Human Response ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Voice

Befriending is a service in which volunteers provide companionship and support usually to people who are lonely or isolated. Such services are promoted in Scotland’s national strategy to improve the lives of people with dementia, around a third of whom live alone. However, little is known about the perspectives of recipients. Taking a holistic qualitative case study approach, the aim of this research was to explore how people living alone with dementia experienced befriending and the contexts in which their befriending relationships were meaningful. Three people were visited on five separate occasions. Largely unstructured conversations allowed individuals to prioritise areas of importance to them within the broad topics of befriending, everyday life, social networks and biography. Participants also had the option of ‘showing’ how they spent their time with their befriender. Data were analysed using the voice-centred relational method. Three key messages emerged: befriending satisfied unmet needs and wishes for particular kinds of relationship; befriending was a facilitated friendship; and befriending was a human response to contingent and existential limitations.

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