Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Department of Primary Care & Mental Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2022 Sep;37(9). doi: 10.1002/gps.5801.
Considering the adverse outcomes of COVID-19, it is essential to provide adequate support and care for people with dementia and informal carers. Technology can reduce the distress associated with social distancing rules and the decreased access to in-person services. This study aimed to explore the use of technology and its perceived effects across different settings and countries.
The sample was composed of 127 informal carers and 15 people with dementia from the UK, Italy, Australia and Poland. Semi-structured interviews explored participants' experiences of using technology and their perceived effects. Transcripts were analysed by researchers in each country using an inductive approach.
Three overarching themes were developed: (1) Technology kept us alive during COVID-19; (2) Remote care was anything but easy; (3) Perceived technology limitations. Many similarities emerged between countries supporting the role of technology for being socially engaged, having a routine, and staying active. However, the benefits of technology for health and psychosocial care were more limited. Across countries, barriers to the access and use of technology included lack of digital literacy, dementia severity, and lack of appropriate digital environments. Help and supervision from carers were also necessary and sometimes perceived as an additional burden.
Technology can effectively reduce the shrinking world that may be amplified by the pandemic, thus preserving people with dementia's social skills and maintaining family connections. However, for more extensive and well-adapted use of technology in dementia care, actions should be taken to overcome the barriers to the access and use of technology by older and vulnerable people globally.
考虑到 COVID-19 的不良后果，为痴呆症患者和非专业照护者提供足够的支持和护理至关重要。技术可以减轻与社交距离规则相关的痛苦，以及减少对面对面服务的获取。本研究旨在探索技术的使用及其在不同环境和国家的感知效果。
样本由来自英国、意大利、澳大利亚和波兰的 127 名非专业照护者和 15 名痴呆症患者组成。半结构化访谈探讨了参与者使用技术的经验及其感知效果。研究人员在每个国家使用归纳法对转录本进行分析。
得出了三个总体主题：（1）技术在 COVID-19 期间使我们得以生存；（2）远程护理绝非易事；（3）感知到的技术局限性。各国之间存在许多相似之处，支持技术在社交参与、日常生活和保持活跃方面的作用。然而，技术在健康和心理社会护理方面的益处更为有限。在所有国家，技术的获取和使用障碍包括数字素养缺乏、痴呆症严重程度以及缺乏适当的数字环境。来自照护者的帮助和监督也是必要的，有时被认为是额外的负担。
技术可以有效地减少因大流行而扩大的缩小的世界，从而保持痴呆症患者的社交技能并保持家庭联系。然而，为了在痴呆症护理中更广泛和更好地应用技术，应采取行动，克服全球老年人和弱势群体获取和使用技术的障碍。
