Best Practice Guidance
Human Interaction with Technology in Dementia

Recommendations

Implementation of technology in dementia care: facilitators & barriers

Successful implementation of technology in dementia care depends not merely on its effectiveness but also on other facilitating or impeding factors related to e.g. the personal living environment (privacy, autonomy and obtrusiveness); the outside world (stigma and human contact); design (personalisability, affordability and safety), and ethics on these subjects.  This section provides recommendations on the implementation of technology in everyday life, for meaningful activities, healthcare technology and technology promoting Social Health.
Social Health Domain 3: Technology to promote social participation

Consider different sources of funding to support the implementation of pet robots for people with dementia within long-term care facilities

Guidance

The cost of pet robots can prohibit their uptake in long-term care facilities for dementia care. There may also be additional costs involved in implementing pet robots, such as manpower and time related costs. Different funding sources need to be considered to acquire sufficient funding to support the implementation effort.

Explanation and examples

In a qualitative study involving 22 care providers from nursing homes, the cost of purchasing pet robots have been reported as a concern. Some care providers reported the use of charity funds to support the purchase of pet robots. In a modified Delphi study, experts (care professionals, organisational leaders and researchers) established that it is necessary to creatively seek and acquire funding to support the implementation of pet robots in long-term care facilities. Examples of potential funding sources may include:

  • Existing funding resources
  • Raising private funds (such as donations or charity)
  • Shifting or (re)prioritising the use of funds within the organisation based on their impact on people with dementia

The funds may be used to support different aspects of implementation. Examples include:

  • Fund the introduction and adoption of pet robots
  • Support other time limited actions needed for initial implementation, such as purchasing cleaning materials
  • Training (e.g. developing educational materials)

Type of evidence

Wei Qi Koh (DISTINCT ESR12)
Collaborator: Viktoria Hoel (DISTINCT ESR9)

Qualitative study, modified Delphi study

References

Koh, W.Q., Toomey, E., Flynn, A. & Casey, D. (2022). Determinants of implementing of pet robots in nursing homes for dementia care. BMC Geriatrics, 22(1), 457, 1-12. doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03150-z

Koh, W. Q., Casey, D., Hoel, V., & Toomey, E. (2022). Strategies for implementing pet robots in care homes and nursing homes for residents with dementia: protocol for a modified Delphi study. Implementation Science Communications, 3(1), 58, 1-10. doi.org/10.1186/s43058-022-00308-z

Koh, W. Q., Hoel, V., Casey, D., & Toomey, E. (2022). Strategies to Implement Pet Robots in Long-Term Care Facilities for Dementia Care: A Modified Delphi Study. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2022.09.010

Useful links

https://implementationsciencecomms.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s43058-022-00308-z

https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-022-03150-z

https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(22)00746-0/fulltext