Providing Support and Consultation to Families Who Care for Elderly Patients with Dementia: A Focus on Modern Technology
Dementia is a progressive and irreversible condition that affects the cognitive functions of the brain, such as memory, language, reasoning, and judgment. It is estimated that 50 million people worldwide have dementia, and this number is expected to rise to 152 million by 2050 (World Health Organization, 2020). Dementia not only impacts the quality of life of the affected individuals, but also imposes a significant burden on their families and caregivers, who often face physical, emotional, social, and financial challenges. Therefore, it is essential to provide adequate support and consultation to families who care for elderly patients with dementia, in order to enhance their well-being and coping skills.
One of the emerging ways to provide support and consultation to families who care for elderly patients with dementia is through the use of modern technology. Technology can offer various benefits, such as facilitating communication, providing information and education, enhancing social interaction, monitoring health and safety, and delivering interventions. For example, a recent study by Lee et al. (2021) evaluated the effectiveness of a smartphone-based intervention program for family caregivers of patients with dementia in South Korea. The program consisted of four modules: psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation training, and problem-solving. The results showed that the program significantly improved the caregivers’ depressive symptoms, anxiety, burden, self-efficacy, and quality of life, compared to a control group that received usual care.
Another example of using technology to provide support and consultation to families who care for elderly patients with dementia is through the use of social robots. Social robots are autonomous machines that can interact with humans in a social manner, using verbal and non-verbal cues. They can serve various purposes, such as companionship, entertainment, education, and therapy. A recent study by Pu et al. (2020) explored the feasibility and acceptability of using a social robot called PARO to deliver reminiscence therapy to patients with dementia and their family caregivers in Singapore. Reminiscence therapy is a psychological intervention that involves recalling and sharing personal memories from the past. The results showed that PARO was well-received by both patients and caregivers, and that it facilitated positive emotions, engagement, and communication.
In conclusion, modern technology can offer various opportunities to provide support and consultation to families who care for elderly patients with dementia. Technology can help reduce the burden and stress of caregiving, improve the well-being and quality of life of both patients and caregivers, and enhance their relationship. However, there are also some challenges and limitations that need to be addressed, such as ethical issues, accessibility issues, cost issues, and individual preferences. Therefore, it is important to conduct more research and evaluation on the effectiveness and feasibility of using technology to provide support and consultation to families who care for elderly patients with dementia.
References:
Lee J., Kim J., Kim H., Park M., Choi E., & Kim S. (2021). Effectiveness of a smartphone-based intervention for family caregivers of people with dementia: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 114: 103806.
Pu L., Moyle W., Jones C., & Todorovic M. (2020). Feasibility and acceptability of PARO robot for group reminiscence in people living with dementia: A pilot study in Singapore. Geriatric Nursing, 41(6): 1019-1025.
World Health Organization (2020). Dementia. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia
