title: A computer-aided telephone system to enable five persons with Alzheimer's disease to make phone calls independently.
abstract: This study extended the assessment of a computer-aided telephone system to enable five patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease to make phone calls independently. The patients were divided into two groups and exposed to intervention according to a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across groups. All patients started with baseline in which the technology was not available, and continued with intervention in which the technology was used. The technology involved a net-book computer provided with specific software, a global system for mobile communication modem (GSM), a microswitch, and lists of partners to call with related photos. All the patients learned to use the system and made phone calls independently to a variety of partners, such as family members, friends, and caregivers. A social validation assessment, in which care and health professionals working with persons with dementia were asked to rate the patients' performance with the technology and with the help of a caregiver, provided generally more positive scores for the technology-assisted performance. The positive implications of the findings for daily programs of patients with Alzheimer's disease are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Via Quintino Sella 268, 70100 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perilli
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.forename: Dominga
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Laporta
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paparella
authors.forename: Alessandro O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Caffò
authors.forename: Nirbhay N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.forename: Doretta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oliva
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017028:Caregivers; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D003201:Computers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013689:Telephone