1. Carolyn M. Shivers, Mary McCarron, & Philip McCallion
Acceptability of a Multimedia Life Stories Platform in a Residential Home for Individuals with Dementia and Intellectual Disability
Carolyn M. Shivers, Mary McCarron, & Philip McCallion
INTRODUCTION
Though the use of technology can lead to great improvements in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and dementia, it is important to understand how staff and service users adapt to different technology before broadly implementing new tools. The present study examines the acceptability of such tools in a residential setting.
The present study took place at a residential center
in Dublin, Ireland. The center specifically serves
individuals with intellectual disability and moderate
dementia. The current report includes information
about a middle aged woman with Down syndrome and mid-stage dementia who had recently moved into the unit.
Needs
Identify areas that could potentially benefit from the introduction of technology
Technology
Identify the technological tools that would fit the given needs
Acceptability
Introduce the technology on a small scale to determine how well both staff and service users take to the new tools
Implementation
If the technology is found acceptable, introduce the tools to other sites and service users
METHODS
NEEDS – The staff at the dementia unit wanted to expand on the existing life story work for their residents.
TECHNOLOGY – Researchers decided to supplement the existing life story books with iPads and talking photo albums. The iPads were populated with digitized versions of the residents’ personal photos, as well as favorite songs and video clips. Staff and family members then helped choose existing photographs to go into the talking photo albums. A familiar voice (i.e. key worker or family member) then recorded descriptions for each picture in the photo album.
PROTOCOL – A new resident in the unit, Ariel, was chosen as the pilot participant for the acceptability study. Ariel has Down syndrome and was recently diagnosed with mid-stage dementia. She has moderate language skills and is fully mobile.
Researchers worked with Ariel’s family and key workers to choose desirable video clips and songs for the iPad. The PI then scanned all of Ariel’s photographs and loaded them onto the iPad. Staff were trained on how to use the iPad, as Ariel showed no interest in using it independently.
MEASURES – Each time Ariel used the iPad or photo album, staff were asked to complete a brief questionnaire about how much she enjoyed it, if there were any problems, and how easy to use the staff found the technology. Additionally, researchers observed Ariel’s behavior to determine level of engagement.
RESULTS
Ariel, her staff, and her family all responded very positively to the iPad and talking photo album. Ariel would use the iPad for an average of 47.8 minutes at a time, listening to songs, looking at pictures, and watching movies. Staff reported
“Ariel enjoyed listening to the YouTube song.
She was singing along.”
Staff reported no problems with the technology, and rated the experience as “Somewhat Positive” to “Very Positive” for both themselves and Ariel. Ariel most frequently used the technology in the mid to late afternoon.
Researchers were also able to observe Ariel’s behavior while her sister-in-law showed Ariel the talking photo album. Ariel appeared very engaged, smiling constantly and exclaiming “Oh, look!” at each new picture. Ariel held consistent gaze, looking at her sister and the photo album throughout the entire session. After going through the album once, Ariel began to turn the pages herself. At the end of the session, Ariel said “Thank you” to the researcher and her sister.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Results indicate that the talking photo album and iPad are acceptable to Ariel, her staff, and her family. However, more research is needed to determine if the technology elicits engagement from residents with lower levels of functioning or more advanced dementia symptoms.
Additionally, more behavioral research is needed to determine the overall benefits of introducing life story technology. While Ariel consistently seemed to enjoy sing the iPad and photo album, both pieces of technology are fairly expensive. Therefore, in order to justify spending that kind of money for the residents, we need to understand how the iPad and photo album impact long-term behavior and/or quality of life.