Supporting provision of quality of care through sustainable implementation of AgeTech for persons living with dementia in rural areas

Abstract

Purpose AgeTech can play an important role to support equitable access to high care for persons aging with dementia, especially in rural areas where access to formal care and supports may be limited. To enhance the quality of life and support provided to persons with dementia who wish to age in a rural community, a new facility was designed with AgeTech solutions embedded in their philosophy of care. A mixed methods study, guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework, was conducted to explore the contextual barriers and facilitators to AgeTech implementation in the rural context. Method The Center for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN), worked in partnership with health systems leaders, and community partners, to select multiple AgeTech solutions to enhance both the care and quality of life of persons living with dementia. AgeTech included in this study were a hydroponic gardening wall, circadian lighting, and a virtual exercise program. Semi-structured interviews were held with facility staff, health systems leaders, representatives from the AgeTech companies, and implementation leads including a secondary analysis of existing documentation was conducted. Results and Discussion A range of barriers to AgeTech implementation were identified including geographic context, complexity of dementia symptoms, and limited experiences by older adults with technology. The barriers were countered by community driven mitigation strategies which included establishing collaborative partnerships with AgeTech companies, client interest and motivation, and creation of AgeTech educational resources. Results provide insights to inform planning and policy decisions for rural AgeTech implementation initiatives, highlight considerations for ongoing AgeTech innovation and describe the engagement of community partners in the process of integrating aging technologies. Persons living with dementia can greatly benefit from the use of AgeTech to support their health and wellbeing. Successful and sustainable implementation of AgeTech is possible when the AgeTech enables, empowers, and engages persons to age well.