Technology-Supported Group Activity to Promote Communication in Dementia: A Protocol for a Within-Participants Study †
1
Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DP, UK
2
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, ON L1N 5S9, Canada
3
Occupational Therapy & occupational Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
4
Berkshire Memory & Cognition Research Centre, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
This paper is an extended version of our paper published in AAATE2017 Congress Proceedings, Sheffield, UK, 13–14 September 2017.
Technologies 2018, 6(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies6010033
Received: 24 January 2018
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Revised: 27 February 2018
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Accepted: 6 March 2018
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Published: 12 March 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from AAATE2017 Congress)
Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid (CIRCA)is an interactive conversation support for people living with dementia. CIRCA facilitates one-to-one conversations and caregiving relationships in formal care environments. Originally developed as a standalone device, a new web-based version of CIRCA has been created to increase availability. The potential of CIRCA to support group activities and conversation between people living with dementia and a facilitator has not previously been explored. The two objectives of this study are (i) to validate the new web-based version of CIRCA against the original standalone device, and (ii) to explore the efficacy of CIRCA in supporting group activity for people with dementia in a formal care setting. This mixed-methods study comprises two parts: (i) an eight-session group activity using the CIRCA stand-alone device, and (ii) an eight-session group activity using the web-based CIRCA. One hundred and eighty people with dementia will be recruited: 90 for part (i) and 90 for part (ii). Measures of cognition and quality of life will be taken at the baseline, post-CIRCA intervention, and three months later, plus video recordings of the group sessions. Both parts of the study will be completed by June 2018. The study will provide evidence on two issues: (i) a validation of the new web-based version of CIRCA, and (ii) the suitability of CIRCA to support group activities in formal care settings for people living with dementia. This protocol is an extended version of the short paper presented at the AAATE 2017 conference and published in Studies in Health Technology & Informatics.
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Keywords:
dementia; psychosocial; Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid (CIRCA); technology
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MDPI and ACS Style
Smith, S.K.; Astell, A.J. Technology-Supported Group Activity to Promote Communication in Dementia: A Protocol for a Within-Participants Study. Technologies 2018, 6, 33. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies6010033
AMA Style
Smith SK, Astell AJ. Technology-Supported Group Activity to Promote Communication in Dementia: A Protocol for a Within-Participants Study. Technologies. 2018; 6(1):33. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies6010033
Chicago/Turabian StyleSmith, Sarah K., and Arlene J. Astell. 2018. "Technology-Supported Group Activity to Promote Communication in Dementia: A Protocol for a Within-Participants Study" Technologies 6, no. 1: 33. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies6010033
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