Help to raise awareness for dementia

On Friday 19th May, drop into the CATCH Home Lab in the Innovation Centre, Sheffield (S1 4DP) for a cup of tea and some cake to create more awareness for dementia and raise money to support those trying to find a cure and support the care of people with the condition.

AcTo Dementia at the UK Dementia Congress 2016

Researchers Phil Joddrell and Professor Arlene Astell from CATCH attended the UK Dementia Congress in Brighton last week. Phil presented his PhD project, AcTo Dementia, in a session on technology and the arts in dementia care, whilst Arlene discussed this project, as well as other work from her career, in the plenary Tom Kitwood Memorial Address, titled ‘Innovating in long-term care: the triumphs and challenges of trying to change practice’. Arlene also contributed as a panel member for the opening debate, ‘Should we welcome a future of robots, avatars and digital technology in dementia care?’, and presented a workshop on Adaptive Interaction.

This was the 11^th UK Dementia Congress which is an annual event organised by the Journal of Dementia Care, and incorporates the National Dementia Care Awards supported by the Alzheimer’s Society.

Written by Phil Joddreell

New open-access publication from the AcTo Dementia project

CATCH researchers working on the AcTo Dementia project have recently published a review article in JMIR Rehabilitation and AssistiveTechnologies. This article, authored by Phil Joddrell and Professor Arlene Astell, is open-access meaning that it is free to read online or download. The review focuses on studies that have involved people living with dementia using touchscreen technologies, such as smartphones and tablets. A total of 45 articles were included in this review, published between 1986 and 2015, demonstrating that touchscreen technology has been in use long before the dawn of iPhones and iPads. The article concluded that people with dementia are able to use touchscreens, that the majority of research to date has focused on using the technology to deliver assessments or provide an assistive function, and that there is unrealised potential to use touchscreen devices to deliver independent activities for meaningful occupation, entertainment, and fun.

Joddrell P, Astell AJ

Studies Involving People With Dementia and Touchscreen Technology: A Literature Review

JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol 2016;3(2):e10

DOI: 10.2196/rehab.5788

Games you should play today #Worldalzheimersday

Since the launch of the AcTo Dementia website 6 months ago, we have evaluated more than 40 different types of game or activity, reviewing over 400 apps in the process. So far we have recommended 23 apps that are the most accessible of their type for people living with dementia, encompassing a diverse range of games or activities. These have included classic board games, sports simulations, interactive art and modern puzzlers.

When taking the apps out-and-about for people with dementia and their families to test and play for fun, the most popular based on feedback are Jigty Jigsaws, Dominoes, Bubble Explode and 10 Pin Shuffle. Some of these can be enjoyed independently during those quiet times when a bit of escapist fun is needed, whereas others can be played with another person as a shared activity.

Our process for selecting apps involves firstly identifying the type of app that we will review, for example dominoes or football. We then search the app store for examples of the app type and download at least ten representations of the app for review. Each of the ten apps are then analysed using our evidence-based App Evaluation Tool, which generates a score for each app based on the presence or absence of design features that have been shown to have an impact on accessibility for people living with dementia. The highest scoring app is then sent for final approval to the lead researcher, and if approved is published on the website as a recommended app.

Not all of our app evaluations lead to app recommendations, as just because an app is the highest scoring and therefore the most accessible of its type, doesn’t mean it is of sufficient quality or suitability and therefore worthy of recommendation. This is demonstrated by the fact that we have so far rejected 18 different types of app on this basis, including driving simulators, spot the difference puzzles and Chinese Checkers.

Suggestions for types of app to be considered for review are always welcome. Initially our selections have been based on feedback from Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) forums, ideas suggested by staff members and service users of places visited by the research team, and the previous work of members of the research team when developing touchscreen software for people living with dementia. We encourage visitors to the website to contact us or post in the forum if they have specific types of app they would like us to review and recommend, and this will be crucial in continuing our aim to develop a catalogue of accessible apps for people living with dementia that can be browsed on our website.

Over the next six months we have app recommendations of Sudoku, bingo, adult colouring, Scrabble and free-form painting all pending publication, and we are also intending to widen our catalogue from just gaming and activity apps to information resource, productivity and self-management apps. To stay up to date with all of this and more, follow us on Twitter @actodementia and bookmark our website www.actodementia.com.