Access to and interest in assistive technology for home-dwelling people with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic (PAN.DEM)

Abstract

The COVID-19 restrictions affect daily living in Norway, including home-dwelling people with dementia, and researchers conducting clinical trials in dementia care. In this paper, we 1) describe the development of a pandemic cohort (PAN.DEM) incorporated in the [email protected], an ongoing clinical intervention trial on resource utilisation including home-dwelling people with dementia and their caregivers (N = 438 dyads), 2) describe pre-pandemic use of assistive technology and 3) explore the extent to which COVID-19 restrictions increase caregivers interest in innovation in the PAN.DEM cohort (N = 126). Our main finding is that assistive technology is available to 71% pre-pandemic; the vast majority utilise traditional stove guards and safety alarms, only a few operate sensor technology, including GPS, fall detectors or communication aids. In response to COVID-19, 17% show increased interest in technology; being less familiar with operating a telephone and having higher cognitive functioning are both associated with increased interest. We conclude that wearable and sensor technology has not yet been fully implemented among people with dementia in Norway, and few caregivers show increased interest under the restrictions.

Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT0404336)

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• assistive technology
• dementia
• home
• caregivers

Acknowledgment

The authors thank the patients, their relatives and the municipal staff in Bergen, Kristiansand and Baerum, Norway, for their willingness and motivation, which made this work possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data can be made available to other researchers on request.

Additional information

Funding

The Research Council of Norway (Sponsor’s Protocol Code: 273581) sponsors the positions of MHG, MV, RA, NP, and LIB, and funds the trial. The Centre for Elderly and Nursing Home Medicine, University of Bergen, responsible for conducting the trial, receives support from the Norwegian Government and the G.C. Rieber Foundation. The sponsors had no influence on the trial concept and design including process development, recruitment of patients, analyses and interpretation of data and the writing and preparation of the manuscript.