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Enhancing Safety for Dementia Persons: Collaborative Locating Technology Project

This project by McMaster University and Alzheimer Society of Canada aims to identify safety concerns of people with Alzheimer’s, evaluate assistive technology, and provide objective information for caregivers and law enforcement.

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Enhancing Safety for Dementia Persons: Collaborative Locating Technology Project

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  1. A Partnership to Ensure Safety for People with Dementia Locating Technology Project

  2. Presenters • Elizabeth Steggles, School or Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario • Mary Schulz, Alzheimer Society of Canada Toronto, Ontario

  3. Conflict of Interest DisclosureElizabeth Steggles, OT Reg. (Ont) Has no real or apparent conflicts of interest to report.

  4. Background • McMaster University conducted the Locating Technology Project • Alzheimer Society of Canada frequently asked for information about equipment to enhance safety • The two organizations agreed to collaborate in order to provide objective information about equipment

  5. Objectives: • Identify of the safety concerns of people with Alzheimer’s disease and those who support them • Identify what assistive technology is currently in use • Provide objective evaluation of assistive technology • Disseminate the results of the evaluations • Provide tips on how to identify and meet individual needs This presentation addresses objectives 1&2

  6. Methods • Letter of agreement signed • Meeting of stakeholders (including law enforcement) • Student occupational therapists engaged in evidence based project: • Literature review • Development of interview guides • Ethics approval received • Recruitment • Pilot interviews • Evaluation of data

  7. Methods cont. • Interviews with caregivers (n=10) and law enforcement officers engaged in search and rescue (n=4) • Participants recruited through local chapters of ASC, OPP and RCMP • Interviews digitally recorded, transcribed and reviewed to develop a coding scheme • Transcripts were reviewed to identify emergent themes

  8. Results • Caregiver interviews: • Burden of care overwhelming • Purposely limit engagement in occupation and environment to negate safety concerns. • Little awareness/use of strategies or AT that may enhance safety

  9. Results • Police interviews: • People who wander vulnerable or may injure other (driving). • People wander in a larger area because of driving – search more difficult. • Need to be proactive in use of strategies and technology. • Safely Home Program & other resources under-used. • Need for early consent to use locating tech.

  10. Conclusions • Caregivers too overwhelmed to anticipate concerns and potential solutions. • People with AD have limited engagement in environment and occupation for fear of compromised safety. • Education and proactive use of strategies & AT that may assist is indicated. • The results support the need to address the additional objectives.

  11. Where do we go from here? Elizabeth Steggles steggl@mcmaster.ca

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