Aging in Place with Cognitive Impairment: Toward User-Centered Assistive Technologies

Funded by Rice University

Rice University Department of Psychological Sciences

Patricia R. DeLucia (co-PI), [email protected]; Philip Kortum, Stephanie Leal, Fred Oswald

Cizak School of Nursing

Sabrina Pickens (co-PI), [email protected]; and Barbara Hekel

Millions of older people lose mental capacities, such as memory and attention, because of

illnesses that cause brain deterioration, such as Alzheimer’s disease; and notably, there are

proportionally many more Hispanics and African Americans with these diseases compared to

Whites. It is essential to determine how technologies and caregivers, together, help people with

cognitive impairment so they can live at home for as long as possible or “age in place.” However, most assistive technologies, although technically appropriate, are created without considering the perspective or needs of people who use them, often resulting in frustration, misuse, and non-use.

In particular, these technologies are made as “one size fits all” instead of being tailored to

accommodate people with different degrees of cognitive impairment. Assistive technologies are

often insensitive to the unique needs, attitudes, and cultural experiences that people of different

races/ethnicities have toward adoption of assistive technologies, and the medical establishment

more generally. We will intentionally sample and survey people across different degrees of

cognitive impairment and races/ethnicities regarding the most pressing types of technological

assistance that they require and use due to cognitive impairment. Outcomes include:

effectiveness, satisfaction, and usability metrics on the part of the patient and/or caregiver. We

will compare the responses among Whites, Hispanics and African Americans, and among people who have mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia and moderate dementia. Results will help improve the nature and effectiveness of assistive technologies, increase aging in place, and ultimately improve the quality of life for dementia patients and their caregivers.