Designing and implementing technology to improve social health in dementia care: An occupational perspective

Digital technology is revolutionizing dementia care. As technology becomes more mainstream and embedded in our everyday lives, it presents opportunities to improve the social health and well-being of people living with dementia and caregivers. Technology designed and used to support the social health of people living with dementia, their formal and informal caregivers, can be defined as socially assistive technology, which encompasses a range of innovations, such as computers, mobile applications, social robots, virtual reality, and smart home systems. Despite their promise, the anticipated benefits of these technologies are often not realised in dementia care. Based on the research and clinical expertise of an international panel of occupational therapists, this chapter presents an occupational perspective on technology design and implementation aimed at supporting the social needs of people with dementia and caregivers. Drawing on the Person-Environment-Occupation Model, a widely used model in occupational therapy research and practice, we illustrate considerations for technology design and implementation to match the individual social needs of people with dementia, by considering the interaction with the environment and the occupations they engage in. Overall, this chapter highlights the importance of integrating occupational therapy perspectives into the design and implementation of socially assistive technologies to better support people living with dementia and their caregivers.