“I don't know about the past or the future, but today it's Friday” – Evaluation of a time aid for people with dementia

Issue title: Technology in Dementia Care

Guest editors: Inger Hagen

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Topo, Päivi^{a; *} | Saarikalle, Kristiina^a | Begley, Emer^b | Cahill, Suzanne^b | Holthe, Torhild^c | Macijauskiene, Jurate^d

Affiliations: [a] National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland | [b] Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland | [c] Norwegian Centre for Dementia Research, Tønsberg, Norway | [d] Kaunas University of Medicine, Geriatric Clinic, Kaunas, Lithuania | P.O. Box 7167 Majorstua, 0307 Oslo, Norway

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Päivi Topo, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, STAKES, P.O. Box 220, 00531 Helsinki, Finland. Tel.: +358 9 3967 2108; Fax: +358 9 3967 2278; E-mail: paivi.topo@stakes.fi.

Abstract: As dementia progresses problems in distinguishing and perceiving dates, days of the week, and the time of day becomes more difficult. As a consequence the person with dementia can become more disorientated in time, missing appointments, doing things on the wrong day or at the wrong time, or they may begin to feel insecure with time. We carried out an assessment trial in which 50 persons with dementia tested automatic Night and Day calendars (NDC) at home in Lithuania, Norway, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Finland over one year. The aim of testing the NDC was to help people with dementia with time orientation. Aims of this study were to find out how persons with dementia and their family carers describe time disorientation; what coping mechanisms, if any, they had implement to combat this; what were their expectations of the time-aid; how the time-aid was used; and did they find it useful. Findings from the first three months show that most respondents with dementia used the NDC and found it useful as did their carers. Our conclusion is that it is possible to compensate for problems in time orientation by using an assistive aid. However a thorough assessment of individual and family needs is required, fitting the technology around these needs. Usefulness of the time-aid is also dependent on the motivation of individuals to use the device.

Keywords: Dementia, assistive technology, time orientation

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-2007-192-309

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 19, no. 2-3, pp. 121-131, 2007