Project Details

The number of people with dementia (PWD) is expected to triple by 2050 - a dramatic increase on the 50 million PWD worldwide today. As there is no medical cure yet, secondary therapy, such as the physical, social and cognitive activation of people with dementia, is of crucial importance. Digital technologies, such as the I-CARE system, facilitate and promote the needs-based activation of people with disabilities. However, several studies show that the needs of people with disabilities often remain unmet. As engagement is closely linked to psychosocial health (PSG) and quality of life, activation measures for people with disabilities should be engaging and meaningful. The lack of social interaction can also be a consequence of carers' difficulties in communicating with people with disabilities.

Aims and approach

The aim of this project is to investigate the direct and indirect effects of activation on people with disabilities and carers using needs-based technologies using the I-CARE activation system as an example. A module for recognising engagement will be developed to promote the use of engaging activation content. In addition, needs-responsive technologies will be investigated in an initial preliminary study for immediate outcomes such as levels of engagement, social interaction and affect in people with disabilities and feelings of competence in carers, as well as intermediate outcomes such as psychosocial health and quality of life of people with disabilities and reduced carer burden (CB).In a feasibility study with mixed methods, the PSG results as well as the acceptance and prerequisites for successful implementation/use and the effectiveness of this technology will be investigated with the help of internationally validated, standardised measurement instruments and in-depth interviews.

Innovations and perspectives

The proposed project aims to gain initial in-depth knowledge about the direct and indirect effects of needs-orientated technologies on the participants in the preliminary study. It also aims to find out whether and how well the engagement of people with disabilities can be automatically recognised in order to improve needs-oriented technologies. The expected results will make it possible to optimise existing care structures in order to enable social stimulation with adequate use of care resources. As a recommendation for practice, the result of the planned project will be a facilitation of interaction and communication between dementia care dyads living in the community.

Project partners:

This study stems from the DISTINCT (Dementia: Inter-sectorial Strategy for Training and Innovation Network for Current Technology) project, which is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (MSC-ITN) under the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme (Grant Agreement No. 813196). The study is also partly funded by the Leibniz Science Campus Bremen Digital Public Health (lsc-diph.de), which is jointly funded by the Leibniz Association (W4/2018), the State of Bremen and the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS.