Harnessing technology to help people with dementia remain at home

Heriot-Watt University, the University of Strathclyde and Age Scotland are leading a new network that will focus on how technology can enhance the social, mental and physical capacities of people living with dementia. The £2million CONSOLIDATE network is one of four announced by UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society. The networks aim to develop novel technologies that will promote independent living and enhance the quality of life for people living with dementia.

HISES welcomes this opportunity to be a partner in the Consolidate Network as it presents an opportunity to be part of a UK based research collaboration utilising broad stakeholder engagement with service users, academia, industry partners, regulatory bodies, and service providers, to improve future care pathways for older people.

An additional area of research that aligns with NHS priorities on sustainability will be the exploration of delivering carbon neutral future models of care that will enable older people to live healthier longer lives, safely in their own home, with early intervention when required.

85% of people would want to stay at home if diagnosed with dementia

There are currently around one million people in the UK with dementia. This is projected to rise to 1.4 million people by 2040. A survey by the Alzheimer’s Society revealed that 85% of people said they would want to stay at home for as long as possible if diagnosed with dementia.

Research suggests that dementia progression can be slowed by promoting or protecting functional capacities, including cognitive skills and self-care activities. CONSOLIDATE will focus on how technology can enhance and support the functional capacities of people living with dementia. For people living with dementia, their families and carers, extra months or years of independent living would maintain quality of life and reduce the time and cost of care. For those in the earlier stages of dementia, the network will explore how technology can enhance existing functional capacities.

As the disease progresses, it will focus on how technology can anticipate people’s changing needs and provide assistance for declining or lost skills, without hastening that decline.

People with and affected by dementia will be at heart of design

The CONSOLIDATE team has several partners to help deliver the three-year programme. They include Alzheimer Scotland, Meeting Centres Scotland, Carers Scotland, the Community Renewal Trust and NHS Boards from the Scottish Borders to the Highlands and Islands. People living with dementia will be central to the research and design process.

The network will co-design solutions responding to the needs identified by people living with dementia, ensuring those are financially and geographically accessible. Alan Gow, Professor in Heriot-Watt’s School of Social Sciences, said: “Technology has immense potential to support people living with dementia, from virtual assistants promoting social, mental, and physical engagement, smart sensors to monitor activity, and even robots that aid with daily tasks – the tools exist.

“But to truly support independence, the design of these technologies must be driven by the needs and aspirations of the people they are there to serve.”

Adapting to people’s needs

Dementia is progressive and people at different stages have different needs in terms of what would enable them to live independently.

Mario Parra Rodriguez, Professor in the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Psychological Sciences and Health, said: “By equipping emerging technologies with knowledge contributed by relevant disciplines and mapping such developments to the needs and preferences of those who will benefit from them, we can achieve unprecedented levels of personalised care.

“CONSOLIDATE moves away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach as it aims to support the development of new technologies that can adapt to the changing needs of diverse populations living with dementia.”

Anna Clements, Head of Dementia at Age Scotland, said: “At Age Scotland, we believe that working with people who have lived experience of dementia is essential to everything we do. Any new technology must be designed with them, not just for them.

“For example, sensor technology can help make living spaces safer and more secure, but people living with dementia want more than to simply be monitored.

“They want technology that supports their independence, helps them stay engaged and allows them to live independently for as long as possible.

“Focusing only on safety, while important, doesn’t help people retain their abilities or stay as active as they’d like. For those in the early stages of dementia, we want to explore how technology can support their independence now while also adapting to their future needs.”

Tackling a major challenge in the UK and globally

EPSRC Executive Chair Professor Charlotte Deane said:

“Dementia is a major challenge in the UK and globally. As people are living longer, the number of people living with dementia is increasing.

“With most people wishing to remain at home, we are investing in research that could lead to new technologies and innovations that will help keep people safe and independent.

“These networks will bring together a wealth of expertise from across academia, healthcare, charities and, crucially, people with lived experience to find solutions that will lead to healthier and more fulfilling lives for those affected by dementia.”

Individuals and groups are invited to join CONSOLIDATE, with opportunities to participate in and shape activities and apply for research funding. Fill in the contact form here: https://forms.office.com/e/GPX8syy6rP.