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Home > Living Well with Dementia > Technology improves quality of life

On this page:

1. Anti-Wandering Technology 3. Feeding Aids and Oral Care
2. Fall Detection Technology 4. Medication Management / Medication Aids

On this page:

  1. Anti-Wandering Technology
  2. Fall Detection Technology
  3. Feeding Aids and Oral Care
  4. Medication Management / Medication Aids

Anti-Wandering Technology

Wandering is common among individuals with dementia. As dementia progresses, individuals may experience confusion and disorientation, leading to wandering behaviours. Tracking technology can help locate individuals and minimize their risk of getting lost.

 

Anti-Wandering Technology

Wandering is common among individuals with dementia. As dementia progresses, individuals may experience confusion and disorientation, leading to wandering behaviours. Tracking technology can help locate individuals and minimize their risk of getting lost.

GPS Tracking Device

GPS tracking devices are a type of tracking technology. These devices generally come in two forms: personal GPS trackers and wearable GPS trackers.

Personal GPS trackers are portable devices that individuals can carry around.

Wearable GPS trackers are devices that can be embedded in daily accessories like smartwatches, pendants, and keychains.

Benefits of tracking devices:

  • Ability to locate the individuals anywhere
  • Allows continuous, 24/7 monitoring

Disadvantages of tracking devices:

  • Privacy breaches may occur if set up improperly

Learn more about tracking devices

 

Examples of tracking devices:

GPS trackers

Door Exit Alarms

Individuals with dementia may experience confusion and disorientation, so they may be at risk of wandering or trying to leave the house. Door exit alarms can help signal to their caregivers or others around that they need assistance.

These alarm systems can be installed on doors or windows. When individuals exit the room, the alarm system will be triggered.

Some alarm systems make a loud noise when triggered, notifying caregivers or others around. Other systems, such as remote notification alarms, notify caregivers with a sound away from the door to avoid startling the person inside.

Benefits of door exit alarms:

  • Easy installation
  • Fairly affordable

Disadvantages of door exit alarms:

  • False alarms may be triggered when doors jiggle
Learn more about door exit alarms

Examples of door alarm systems:

Fall Detection Technology

Falls are the major cause of serious injuries for older adults. To prevent seriously negative outcomes, fall detection devices can help by automatically detecting falls and triggering immediate emergency alerts to designated recipients like family members or professional response centres.

These wearable sensor devices can be embedded in watches, pendants, and clip-on devices. Some can also serve as a panic button that individuals can press to contact emergency services anytime.

Fall Detection Technology

Falls are the major cause of serious injuries for older adults. To prevent seriously negative outcomes, fall detection devices can help by automatically detecting falls and triggering immediate emergency alerts to designated recipients like family members or professional response centres.

These wearable sensor devices can be embedded in watches, pendants, and clip-on devices. Some can also serve as a panic button that individuals can press to contact emergency services anytime.

Fall Detection Sensors

Benefits of fall detection sensors:

  • Able to detect falls
  • Able to trigger emergency alerts automatically
  • Able to wear them anywhere
  • Able to locate where the fall occurs
  • Allows continuous, 24/7 monitoring

 

Disadvantages of fall detection sensors:

  • Cannot guarantee 100% fall detection accuracy
Learn more about fall detection sensors

Examples of tracking and fall detection devices:

GPS watches

GPS trackers

Pendants and wristbands

Sensor pads and mats

Caregiver call systems

Feeding Aids and

Oral Care

As an individual’s dementia progresses, they may experience challenges with swallowing, remembering to eat, and eating without dropping food. As such, individuals with dementia often experience difficulty in self-feeding.[1]

Food intake challenges may result in increased risk of mortality, malnutrition, and respiratory infections. Feeding aids can help individuals with safer independent feeding and prevent negative outcomes.

It is important to consult healthcare providers to determine the most appropriate feeding assistance approach, as the decisions should involve swallowing ability assessments and related risks.

There are two major types of feeding aids: manual aids and electrical and robotic aids.

Feeding Aids and Oral Care

As an individual’s dementia progresses, they may experience challenges with swallowing, remembering to eat, and eating without dropping food. As such, individuals with dementia often experience difficulty in self-feeding.[1]

Food intake challenges may result in increased risk of mortality, malnutrition, and respiratory infections. Feeding aids can help individuals with safer independent feeding and prevent negative outcomes.

It is important to consult healthcare providers to determine the most appropriate feeding assistance approach, as the decisions should involve swallowing ability assessments and related risks.

There are two major types of feeding aids: manual aids and electrical and robotic aids.

Manual aids

allow users to self-feed with the support of non-electrical aids.

Examples of manual aids:

Adapted cutlery

Gripping aids

Mobile arm supports / Assisted feeders

Electrical and robotic aids

are power-assisted devices that help people move their arms, or robotic arms, to their mouths. These devices are mostly controlled by switches or a joystick.

 

Benefits of feeding aids:

  • Increase individual’s independence, confidence, and dignity
  • Reduce the risk of malnutrition

Disadvantages of feeding aids:

  • Assistive feeding devices and installation services can be costly
  • Some devices have strict maintenance requirements
  • Use of devices may require supervision and assistance from caregivers
Examples of feeding aids:

 Motorized levelling cutlery

Power-assisted mobile arm support

Robotic feeding devices

Medication Management / Medication Aids

Medication management, including remembering the correct time and dosage to take, can be challenging for individuals with dementia. Forgetting to take medication as prescribed can lead to serious health risks.

Medication Management / Medication Aids

Medication management, including remembering the correct time and dosage to take, can be challenging for individuals with dementia. Forgetting to take medication as prescribed can lead to serious health risks.

Automatic pill dispensers

Automatic pill dispensers can be a helpful tool to avoid missing medication.

Automatic pill dispensers work by dispensing the correct medication dose at pre-set times. The dispensers also alert users at pre-set times with sounds and blinking lights.

Some dispensers have mobile applications to allow caregivers to remotely keep track of whether individuals took medications and when. Pill reminders and missed-dose alerts can also be sent to the apps.

Benefits of automatic pill dispensers:

  • Increase individuals’ independence, confidence, and dignity
  • Reduce the risk of missed medication

Disadvantages of automatic pill dispensers:

  • Can be expensive
  • Caregivers may need to help set the device
  • Caregivers may need to help refill the correct medication and dosage every cycle
  • Some devices lack a backup power supply to sustain use in the event of a power outage
Examples of Products:

Automatic pill dispensers

 

Pill Organizer

 

 

References

[1] Jung, D., Lee, K., De Gagne, J. C., Lee, M., Lee, H., Yoo, L., Won, S., & Choi, E. (2021). Eating difficulties among older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities: A scoping review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(19), 10109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910109

[2] Sarsby, S. (2020). The importance of assistive technology in feeding. AT Today. https://attoday.co.uk/the-importance-of-assistive-technology-in-feeding/

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