Regresar

Studying the technological barriers and needs of people with dementia: A quantitative study

Abstract:

The fruitful adoption of technology is winding up progressively critical to practical autonomy and independence of elderly people with dementia. A superior comprehension of the technological boundaries and the necessities of cognitively impaired individuals will help the researchers to yield more suitable interventions and will prompt the avoidance of institutionalisation. The purpose of this study is to perceive those technological barriers and needs of people suffering from dementia. A methodology based on a combination of guided questionnaires and experiments with two technological devices, tablet and virtual reality head-mounted display (VR HMD), was applied. Data were collected through individual structured interviews that occurred in a care centre in Athens. Their unfamiliarity with the technology might be the major factor that prevents its utilisation. The positive results of the technological experiment suggest that the technology adoption could be feasible once the benefits are known.