SIX-MONTH EFFICACY OF REMOTE ACTIVITY MONITORING FOR PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA AND THEIR FAMILY CAREGIVERS

• Published in: Innovation in aging Vol. 2; no. suppl_1; p. 678
• Main Authors: Zmora, R, Mitchell, L, Finlay, J, Peterson, C, McCarron, H, Jutkowitz, E, Gaugler, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 11.11.2018
• Subjects: Abstracts
• ISSN: 2399-5300; 2399-5300
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.2524

The role of technology in aiding family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia (ADRD) is unclear. We conducted a preliminary embedded experimental mixed methods analysis of a randomized controlled study of 132 persons with ADRD and their family caregivers to evaluate the impact of remote activity monitoring (RAM) on caregiver self-efficacy, sense of competence, and distress after 6 months of RAM use. Repeated measures ANOVA models tested the effect of RAM on these caregiver outcomes. Qualitative thematic analysis of caregiver-reported perceptions of RAM use simultaneously probed for more in-depth understanding of RAM receipt. We then mapped qualitative themes onto the quantitative data to assess these variables as possible moderators of the effect of RAM. We found no statistically significant effects of RAM on caregiving outcomes over a 6-month period. Qualitative analyses identified characteristics of caregivers, care recipients and living arrangements – including comfort with technology, time constraints, dementia status, and cohabitation – as potential moderators of RAM efficacy. Informed by these qualitative findings, caregivers who were randomized to RAM and cared for relatives with a) less severe cognitive impairment and b) difficulty navigating the home reported statistically significantly higher competence and self-efficacy, respectively. These early findings illustrate that RAM technology may work optimally for caregivers of persons with ADRD in specific situations (e.g., earlier stages of dementia, wandering risk, living alone), which suggests needs assessments can better target appropriate use of RAM and other similar technology.