Creating Technologies with People Who have Dementia

Abstract

As the numbers of people living with dementia continue to rise, technology is becoming increasingly important. This is partly because current services, which tend to focus on healthcare, lack both capacity and treatments to respond to the growing need. Additionally, most people with dementia across the world live at home, requiring practical, affordable and scalable solutions at a societal level. In the short to medium term this could be achieved through harnessing and exploiting existing devices and functionality to support people who have dementia and their families. In the longer term, emerging innovations that directly address the complex interactions of cognitive function and behaviour should produce tailored or personalised solutions for people with dementia. This chapter argues that we need to shift from the medical approach focused on symptoms to an approach based on empowerment through the sensitive and appropriate use of technology. Specifically, this chapter looks at the current context in which dementia is understood, identifies factors that must be taken into account in reconceptualising dementia, and proposes a cognitive-behavioural approach for thinking about the activities people with dementia want assistance with.