None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
In this study, we will randomly assign 80 people living with dementia into two groups, an intervention or a control group. Forty participants in the intervention group will receive a range of low cost, adaptable, user-centric technologies installed in their homes, while 40 participants in the control group will continue to receive usual care. These technologies include a wearable falls detector, a communication tablet, personalised reminders for medication taking and other routine activities, and motion sensors installed around the home. The study aims to see whether these technologies will help people living with dementia better manage their routine activities of daily living, and examine the impact of these technologies on the people living with dementia and their informal carers. The intervention will be provided for six months.
Interventions
Brief name: Assistive technologies system
Forty intervention patients will be provided with an integrated assistive technologies system comprised of four components:
1. SofiHub reminder hub, which can be remotely programmed by the participant and carers to provide personalised, timed audio reminders for participants to take medications or engage in routine activities of daily living.
2. Up to eight SofiHub infrared sensors, which are placed at strategic locations around the house to identify th
Brief name: Assistive technologies system Forty intervention patients will be provided with an integrated assistive technologies system comprised of four components: 1. SofiHub reminder hub, which can be remotely programmed by the participant and carers to provide personalised, timed audio reminders for participants to take medications or engage in routine activities of daily living. 2. Up to eight SofiHub infrared sensors, which are placed at strategic locations around the house to identify the location of the participant within their home and their use of medications. These sensors only detect movement and do not record audio or video data. 3. A tablet-based communication system, which allows participants to make immediate video or voice calls to a caregiver, and displays text reminders and messages from carers. 4. A wearable device with an emergency alarm button, which monitors energy expenditure and detects falls, stumbles and near falls. The assistive technologies system will be installed in participant homes by a technical team from the University of NSW. The study coordinator will be present at installation to assist the person responsible/carer and participant to understand the use and objectives of each technology. Data collection from the assistive technology system is automated and will be displayed on an online portal, accessible to the study coordinator. The intervention will be provided for six months. The technologies system will provide personalised reminders and alerts to the patients and care network. A 30 minute face-to-face consultation with the participant and his/her carers will be conducted by the study coordinator to determine the specific content and frequency of these reminders, prior to system installation. These will be programmed into the technologies by the study coordinator and ready for use at the time of installation.
Sponsors
University of New South Wales
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Diagnosed with mild-moderate dementia or MMSE 10-24, Living alone or with another person considered frail. Living in the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) area. Experienced one or more falls in the past 12 months. Willing to give written informed consent to participate and comply with study procedures. Have an identifiable and consenting person responsible/carer.
Exclusion criteria
Residents of residential aged care facilities. Advanced dementia, defined as dependent in at least three basic ADLs or an adjusted MMSE <10. Non-English speaking with no readily available interpreter. Any of the following medical conditions: delirium, acute medical illnesses, severe psychiatric disorders, progresive neurological diseases other than dementia, blindness.
Outcome results
None listed