Evaluating the effectiveness of a memory aid system

Smart Home Technologies for Enhancing Independence of Living and Reducing Care Dependence in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

AIM

To systematically review the potential of smart home technology to enhance the independence of older adults and reduce their dependence on care. Additionally, it sought to examine the positive impacts of such technology on their golden years.

DESIGN

A systematic review based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

DATA SOURCES

The search was conducted on 8 April 2024. Peer-reviewed studies in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, CNKI, WANFANG DATA and VIP from 1 January 2000 to 8 April 2024 were searched.

METHODS

The methodological quality assessment used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Positive findings relevant to this study were extracted from the literature and analysed using thematic synthesis.

RESULTS

After meticulously examining 3404 studies, we identified 21 relevant sources for in-depth analysis, including qualitative studies (n = 10), experimental studies (n = 9) and mixed method studies (n = 2). These sources were grouped into five core themes based on the pivotal role of smart home technologies in enabling ageing in place: daily monitoring, assisted living activities, life reminders, functional improvement and emotional companionship. The study found that smart home technology offers numerous benefits to the lives of older adults, including increased independence, psychological support, improved cognitive functioning, enhanced self-management, increased mobility, support for caregivers, promoted social engagement and enhanced quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Smart home technology can enhance the independence of older adults' lives, reduce their dependence on care, alleviate the burden on caregivers and promote home-based elderly care.

IMPACT

This systematic review contributes to understanding the capability of smart home technology to promote elderly care at home and help better utilise smart home technology to benefit older adults. Older adults and their caregivers should be encouraged to adopt this technology to improve older adults' quality of life.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

User Interface (UI) Design and User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) Evaluation of a To-Do List Mobile Application to Support Day-To-Day Life of Older Adults

Because of the spread of smartphones, older adults enjoy the assistance of smartphones. However, fewer mobile applications are designed for older adults. Smartphone user interface (UI) serves as an external brain to capture information, and older adults may have memory complaints that affect self-confidence and lead to memory decline. Non-declarative memory requires more effort. Therefore, this study aims to design and evaluate a to-do list application to help older adults encode, store, and retrieve non-declarative memory, such as tasks they plan to do. We recruited 15 participants (5 men and 10 women) aged 60 to 75 years old (SD = 5.32). They were asked to complete nine usability tasks, and to answer a user experience questionnaire (UEQ) and a few interview questions. Sixty percent of users completed with only one or two attempts (median = 2.80, SD = 1.63). We found three usability issues and proposed an iteration plan. The application has attractiveness, efficiency, dependability, stimulation, novelty, and good perspicuity for older adults. The product was rated excellent except for perspicuity, which met the users’ expectations. This indicates that the user is satisfied with the application prototype. The results of this measurement can be utilized as a benchmark for the next model for developing mobile to-do list applications on user experience.

Cognitive impairment and assistive devices: Outcomes and adverse effects

Purpose

The goal of this review was to investigate the relationship between cognitive impairment and assistive device use in elderly persons.

Methods

English-language articles for people aged 65 and over were identified by searching MEDLINE and Embase (1985–June 2015) with the keywords “self-help devices” and “cognition disorders” and relevant synonyms. Bibliographies of retrieved articles were also examined; 510 articles were selected for further evaluation. Abstracts of the remaining articles were evaluated and all of the studies that concerned one or more of the following criteria were included: geriatric, long-term care residents or cognitively impaired patients using assistive devices that addressed benefits, risks, adverse effects, or other problems. Ultimately, 15 articles were analyzed and included in the review.

Results

Very few good-quality studies that specifically addressed the research question were found. We found that cognitively impaired elderly patients were more likely to use assistive devices ineffectively than cognitively intact elders. In addition, the literature describes promising approaches to assistive device training and technologies to accommodate cognitive impairment in this population.

Conclusion

The evidence basis for recommendations and training for assistive devices for cognitively impaired elders is weak. More research is needed on safety and effectiveness of devices for this population.