The Future of Assistive Technologies for Dementia

The use of Assistive Technologies (ATs) for residential dementia care is increasing, yet there exists a gap between what individuals want, what developers design and how outcomes are indicated. Despite general acceptance that ATs improve Quality of Life (QOL), there is relatively little data to support such claims. If we are to continue to develop and use ATs for dementia care, an investigation into the efficacy and efficiency of care interventions is warranted. By reviewing the ATs used in residential dementia care, incorporating societal, healthcare and technology trends, a futuristic view of AT development and use is presented. This article discusses the State of the Art for AT in relation to dementia care and projected future trends that can be incorporated into research now. In the future, ATs will likely be more integrated into the environment, combined with ambient and intelligent technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the potential of Cloud Computing. They will also become more personalized to individual needs and user requirements.