"I Don't Know About the Past for the Future, But Today it's Friday" - Evaluation of a Time Aid for People With Dementia
By Topo, Paivi; Saarikalle, Kristiina; Begley, Emer; Cahill, Suzanne; Holthe, Torhild; Macijauskiene, Jurate; Technology and Disability, Vol. 19, No. 2, 3, pp. 121-131Publication Date: 2007
Study conducted to evaluate the use of Night and Day Calendars (NDC) by people with dementia living in Lithuania, Norway, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Finland over a period of one year. As the symptoms of dementia progress, people can have problems in distinguishing and perceiving dates, days of the week, and time of day. The NDC consists of an LCD display that shows the day, date, and distinguishes between morning, afternoon, evening, and night. At midnight, the day and date change automatically, while night changes to morning at 7:00 A.M. The device must be connected to an electrical outlet, and can be placed on a wall or table in order to attract the user’s attention. Personalized pictures can be placed in the picture frame as a cue to use the device. The participants were contacted six times over a period of one year in order to assess the benefits of the NDC. The results indicated that the participants found the devices to be useful in helping to keep appointments and to maintain a general orientation to time. The authors contend that a more thorough assessment of the individual and family needs is required, as fitting the technology to match these needs is imperative. Implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: IOS Press (Website:http://www.iospress.nl)
Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE) (Web Site: http://www.aaate.net )
