2008 Everyday Technologies for Alzheimer's Care (ETAC)

Prompting to Support Independence in Dementia

Arlene Astell, Ph.D.
University of St. Andrews
St. Andrews, United Kingdom

Providing verbal or visual prompts is an important element of new technologies designed to help people with dementia conduct basic daily tasks, such as cooking and washing. But there is little research on the best way to prompt people with dementia and whether different activities require different types of prompts.

Arlene Astell, Ph.D., and colleagues will study the best types of prompts, as well as their timing during activities, in technology designed to help people with dementia in their own homes. These technologies include a stove that warns the user if there's smoke or gas and automatically shuts off, and a calendar that tells the user what day and time it is and reminds him or her of appointments or visits.

The goal of the study is to determine the best way to deliver prompts to people with dementia so they can better live their everyday lives.