Upgraded Smart Cloth Home Care System for Persons With Dementia

A Clinical Trial on an Upgraded Smart Cloth Home Care System With Interactive Family Caregiver App for Persons With Dementia

The purposes of this study are to develop an upgraded version of the smart-clothes home care model that include an interactive family caregiver App, and to examine its effect on a randomized controlled trial.

The purposes of this study are to develop an upgraded version of the smart-clothes home care model that include an interactive family caregiver App, and to examine its effect on a randomized controlled trial. This 3-year study will spend the first 6 months to developed the upgraded smart-clothes home care model, and the later 2 and a half years on the clinical trial and follow-ups. In addition to the original function of abnormal activity level, going out alone, abnormal number of getting-up at night, fall risks, this upgraded version will include monitoring for medication, abnormal life pattern, quality of hired help. The warning signals, along with weekly summary and related information will be sent to the family caregiver interactive App after the assessment of the home care nurses to provide guidance for family care.

During the first 6 months, the upgraded smart-clothes home care model will be developed according to qualitative and quantitative data of the prior study and expert reviews. For the clinical trial in later 2 1/2 years, a total of 60 participant families will be randomly assigned to experimental (N=30) and control (N=30) group, with experimental group receiving the upgraded smart-clothes home care for 6 months and control group received routine care with 6 month follow-ups. Outcomes including caregiver preparedness, balance between competing needs, health related quality of life and depressive symptoms, and fall, time up & go, activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs, cognitive function and quality of life of the patient will be followed every 2 month for 6 months. Intention-to-treat and hierarchical linear models will be used to analyze the results.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed as having dementia
• can walk independently or with help
• able to communicate
• living in Northern Taiwan.
• Family caregiver age 20 or older
• taking primary responsibility in providing family care.

Exclusion Criteria:

• with terminal illness
• with severe diseases that can not be controlled.