Effects of tracking technology on daily life of persons with dementia: three experimental single-case studies.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of using tracking technology on independent outdoor activities and psychological well-being in 3 persons with dementia (PwDs) and their spouses.


METHODS
Three experimental single-case studies with an A1B1A2B2 design. The intervention entailed access to a passive positioning alarm and technical support. Continual daily measures of independent outdoor activities among PwDs' and spouses' worries about these activities were made during all phases.


RESULTS
Access to a tracking technology consistently increased the independent outdoor activities of 2 PwDs. One of the spouses consistently reported decreased worry during B phases, another's worry decreased only in B2, and the third showed little variability in worrying across all phases.


CONCLUSIONS
Tracking technology may support PwDs to engage in independent outdoor activities and decrease spouses' worries; however, randomized controlled group studies are needed to investigate whether these results can be replicated on a group level.
Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden annakarin.olsson@hig.se.
Annakarin
A
Olsson
Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Maria
M
Engström
Department of Neuroscience, Physiotherapy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Pernilla
P
Åsenlöf
School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden Faculty of Health Sciences, Buskerud University College, Drammen, Norway.
Kirsti
K
Skovdahl
Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
Claudia
C
Lampic
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology
Alzheimer’s; dementia; experimental single-case study; information and communication technology; outdoors; tracking technology