Living at home with acquired cognitive impairment – Can assistive technology help?

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 91-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Göran Molin ◽  
Christina Pettersson ◽  
Oskar Jonsson ◽  
Ulf Keijer
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Assistive Technology ◽  
At Home

scholarly journals The situation of elderly with cognitive impairment living at home during lockdown in the Corona-pandemic in Germany

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jochen René Thyrian ◽  
Friederike Kracht ◽  
Angela Nikelski ◽  
Melanie Boekholt ◽  
Fanny Schumacher-Schönert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Health Care Provision ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Personal Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

Abstract Background: The outbreak of the Corona virus is a challenge for health care systems worldwide. The aim of this study is to analyze a) knowledge about, and feelings related to the Corona-pandemic. Describe b) loneliness, depression and anxiety and, c) the perceived, immediate impact of the lockdown on frequency of social contacts and quality of health care provision of people with cognitive impairment during social distancing and lockdown in the primary care system and living at home in Germany. Methods: This analysis is based on data of a telephone-based assessment in a convenience sample of n=141 people with known cognitive impairment in the primary care setting. Data on e.g. cognitive and psychological status prior to the pandemic was available. Attitudes, knowledge about and perceived personal impact of the pandemic, social support, loneliness, anxiety, depression, change in the frequency of social activities due to the pandemic and perceived impact of the pandemic on health care related services were assessed during the time of lockdown. Results: The vast majority of participants are sufficiently informed about Corona (85%) and most think that the measures taken are appropriate (64%). A total of 11% shows one main symptom of a depression according to DSM-5. The frequency of depressive symptoms has not increased between the time before pandemic and lockdown in almost all participants. The sample shows minimal (65.0%) or low symptoms of anxiety (25%). The prevalence of loneliness is 10%. On average seven activities have decreased in frequency due to the pandemic. Social activities related to meeting people, dancing or visiting birthdays have decreased significantly. Talking with friends by phone and activities like gardening have increased. Utilization of health care services like day clinics, relief services and prescribed therapies have been reported to have worsened due to the pandemic. Visits to general practitioners decreased. Conclusions: The study shows a small impact of the pandemic on psychological variables like depression, anxiety and loneliness in the short-term in Germany. There is a decrease in social activities as expected. The impact on health care provision is prominent. There is a need for qualitative, in-depth studies to further interpret the results.

scholarly journals Differences in assistive technology installed for people with dementia living at home who have wandering and safety risks

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor Curnow ◽  
Robert Rush ◽  
Sylwia Gorska ◽  
Kirsty Forsyth
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Living Situation ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Multiple Characteristics ◽  
Person Characteristics ◽  
Person With Dementia ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

Abstract Background Assistive Technology for people with dementia living at home is not meeting their care needs. Reasons for this may be due to limited understanding of variation in multiple characteristics of people with dementia including their safety and wandering risks, and how these affect their assistive technology requirements. This study therefore aimed to explore the possibility of grouping people with dementia according to data describing multiple person characteristics. Then to investigate the relationships between these groupings and installed Assistive Technology interventions. Methods Partitioning Around Medoids cluster analysis was used to determine participant groupings based upon secondary data which described the person characteristics of 451 people with dementia with Assistive Technology needs. Relationships between installed Assistive Technology and participant groupings were then examined. Results Two robust clustering solutions were identified within the person characteristics data. Relationships between the clustering solutions and installed Assistive Technology data indicate the utility of this method for exploring the impact of multiple characteristics on Assistive technology installations. Living situation and caregiver support influence installation of assistive technology more strongly than level of risk or cognitive impairment. People with dementia living alone received different AT from those living with others. Conclusions Results suggest that caregiver support and the living situation of the person with dementia influence the type and frequency of installed Assistive Technology. Reasons for this include the needs of the caregiver themselves, the caregiver view of the participants’ needs, caregiver response to alerts, and the caregiver contribution to the assistive technology assessment and selection process. Selection processes should be refined to account for the needs and views of both caregivers and people with dementia. This will require additional assessor training, and the development of validated assessments for people with dementia who have additional impairments. Policies should support the development of services which provide a wider range of AT to facilitate interventions which are focused on the needs of the person with dementia.

scholarly journals Supporting community‐dwelling older people with cognitive impairment to stay at home: A modelled cost analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne M. Dyer ◽  
Lachlan B. Standfield ◽  
Nicola Fairhall ◽  
Ian D. Cameron ◽  
Meredith Gresham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Older People ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Community Dwelling Older People ◽  
At Home

scholarly journals INVOLUNTARY TREATMENT AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT RECEIVING NURSING CARE AT HOME.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 981-981
Author(s):  
V Moermans ◽  
M Bleijlevens ◽  
H Verbeek ◽  
F Tan ◽  
K Milisen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Nursing Care ◽  
Involuntary Treatment ◽  
Care At Home ◽  
At Home

The ethical evaluation of assistive technology for practitioners: a checklist arising from a participatory study with people with dementia, family and professionals

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice Godwin
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Evaluation ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Monitoring And Surveillance ◽  
At Home

PurposeUncertainty over ethical impact may hinder uptake of assistive technology (AT) in dementia. This study aims to examine whether AT contributes to person‐centred care, whether users can participate in research and to explore ethical dilemmas with users, family and professional carers.Design/methodology/approachPeople with dementia, at home or in residential care, and carers were allocated equipment and consulted about ethics. In a small, qualitative study, data were collected using semi‐structured interviews and vignettes and content‐analysed to establish themes.FindingsAT in person‐centred dementia care requires meticulous assessment, reliability and availability in rapidly evolving situations. Users displayed insight, logic and empathy in ethical evaluation. They disliked remote monitoring and surveillance, whereas carers were pragmatic, prioritising safety.Research limitations/implicationsThis research provides further evidence that users with dementia can be included in research. It demonstrates a significant potential role for AT in dementia care, with an ethical checklist to help professionals evaluate ethical dilemmas.Originality/valueAT potentially increases wellbeing, enabling users to remain longer at home, delaying or avoiding moves to or between homes.

scholarly journals Hospital at Home care for older patients with cognitive impairment: a protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e020332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maaike A Pouw ◽  
Agneta H Calf ◽  
Barbara C van Munster ◽  
Jan C ter Maaten ◽  
Nynke Smidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Hospital Care ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Nursing Home Admission ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Hospital At Home ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
At Home

IntroductionAn acute hospital admission is a stressful life event for older people, particularly for those with cognitive impairment. The hospitalisation is often complicated by hospital-associated geriatric syndromes, including delirium and functional loss, leading to functional decline and nursing home admission. Hospital at Home care aims to avoid hospitalisation-associated adverse outcomes in older patients with cognitive impairment by providing hospital care in the patient’s own environment.Methods and analysisThis randomised, non-blinded feasibility trial aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial in terms of the recruitment, use and acceptability of Hospital at Home care for older patients with cognitive impairment. The quality of care will be evaluated and the advantages and disadvantages of the Hospital at Home care programme compared with usual hospital care. Eligible patients will be randomised either to Hospital at Home care in their own environment or usual hospital care. The intervention consists of hospital level care provided at patients’ homes, including visits from healthcare professionals, diagnostics (laboratory tests, blood cultures) and treatment. The control group will receive usual hospital care. Measurements will be conducted at baseline, during admission, at discharge and at 3 and 6 months after the baseline assessment.Ethics and disseminationInstitutional ethics approval has been granted. The findings will be disseminated through public lectures, professional and scientific conferences, as well as peer-reviewed journal articles. The study findings will contribute to knowledge on the implementation of Hospital at Home care for older patients with cognitive disorders. The results will be used to inform and support strategies to deliver eligible care to older patients with cognitive impairment.Trial registration numberNTR6581; Pre-results.

One-year predictors of turnover among personal-care workers for older adults living at home in Italy

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
CLAUDIO BILOTTA ◽  
PAOLA NICOLINI ◽  
CARLO VERGANI
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Personal Care ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Informal Carers ◽  
One Year ◽  
At Home

ABSTRACTThis paper reports a study that aimed to identify the predictors of the turnover of privately-employed personal-care staff that provide community-dwelling older adults in Italy with assistance in the activities of daily living. The prospective cohort study enrolled 121 older adults (mean age 85.6 years) living at home, along with their personal-care workers and 107 informal carers. The older participants underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment. At a one-year follow-up between May 2006 and June 2008, 12 of the older participants had been placed in a nursing home and 26 had died. Of the 83 still living at home, 22 had changed their personal-care staff (26.5% turnover). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified one characteristic of the personal-care staff, living far away from their families (odds ratio (OR) 16.30, p=0.01), and two characteristics of the elders, namely being widowed (OR 0.09, p=0.01) and having cognitive impairment (OR 0.10, p=0.01), as one-year predictors of turnover and of the retention of personal-care workers, respectively. Further studies are needed both to evaluate whether immigration politics that enable family reconjunction would reduce the turnover of personal-care workers, and to investigate the lower turnover among personal-care staff caring for widowed elders and older adults with cognitive impairment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document