Technology could help people with dementia remain in their homes

Voting for dementia in the Longitude Prize could help revolutionise care
As well as the trumpet-playing kind, Toyota are experimenting with assistive robots.

Dementia affects an increasing number of people: in 2012, 800,000 people in the UK had a form of dementia. The cost to the British economy, estimated at £23bn a year by the Alzheimer’s Society, is now greater than cancer, strokes and heart disease combined. Finding a solution that can both alleviate the pressures on society and allow people with dementia to live with dignity is crucial; this is why it should win the public vote to decide the focus of the Longitude prize 2014.

Recent stories in the media about the quality of care provided to the elderly have highlighted that there is still a lack of understanding and even empathy when caring for those with dementia. The Care Quality Commission has shown that care across England is patchy at best and in need of improvement. With the NHS struggling to cope with increasing numbers of people with dementia, a greater burden is being placed on the role of family carers in providing support.

This is why I championed dementia in the public vote for the focus of the Longitude Prize 2014. If it wins, we could help create a world where care was more about the quality of our interactions and less about managing everyday chores through the use of radical new technologies for care.

I have personal experience of dementia. My father and both my parents in-law were suffering from dementia when they died. The hardest part was not being able to support them to live in their own homes with dignity as the disease took hold. With no existing cure for dementia we must look towards technology to allow people with dementia to live independently in their homes, for longer.

Not only could an integrated system of technology allow people to live independently; it could also alleviate the burden dementia places on our healthcare system, individuals, families and networks of care.

Last week the Alzheimer’s Society published its first charter on dementia-friendly technology. This charter is twofold in its impact. It outlines the needs of those with dementia to technology providers, and gives people with dementia and their carers access to information about the types of technology that they could use to help them live independently for longer. In the survey of 2,353 people, 85 per cent would want to stay living in their home if diagnosed with dementia, yet a third didn’t know where to find information about how to adapt their home.

Current assistive technology products involve devices that address specific needs, such as “wayfinding”, social interaction, memory support and health management, but to be truly beneficial for dementia sufferers they need to work together in an intelligent way.

What should the future home look like to revolutionise dementia care? Technology would remind people to do everyday tasks, like ensuring the gas hob is switched off after cooking, or locking the front door. People with dementia could be guided through their home being prompted to take small actions that make them safer. If they fell over, clever carpet laced with optical fibres could alert a family member to the crisis.

There have already been some major advances in robotics. Toyota has been experimenting with assistive robots that can work with doctors, carers or the sick, elderly or disabled patients in their homes. Their care assist robot can lift and carry patients, making it easier to care for people and alleviating some of the associated health risks to carers.

Another robotic device coming out of Japan is the Paro Therapeutic Robot – a delightful seal-shaped device that recreates the benefits that animals would bring to environments they are normally not allowed in, such as hospitals or care homes. Paro uses five kinds of sensors to perceive people and the environment. It has been shown to reduce stress, improve interaction between patients and caregivers and improve relaxation and motivation.

Much more work needs to be done to truly revolutionise care for our family relatives with dementia. An integrated system of intelligent technologies could help provide affordable, sensitive care, and enable people with dementia to live healthier, more independent lives. That’s why you should vote for dementia in the Longitude prize 2014.

Dame Wendy Hall is a member of the Longitude committee and dean, faculty of physical sciences and engineering at the University of Southampton.

http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2014