The Usefulness of Digital Memory Album for a Person with Mild Dementia
AUTHORS
Kwai Ching Kan,Health Psychology Programme, School of Healthcare Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ponnusamy Subramaniam,Health Psychology Programme, School of Healthcare Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Rosdinom Razali,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Shazli Ezzat Ghazali,Health Psychology Programme, School of Healthcare Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to explore the psychosocial benefits of familiar technology; Digital Memory Album (DMA) based reminiscence work with a 74-year-old male with mild dementia and his caregiver. Data was collected at three time points: baseline assessment; first follow-up assessment after the completion of 8 weeks life review process and completion of DMA; second follow-up assessment after 6 weeks of deployment the DMA at the participant’s home. Standardized tests and qualitative interviews were used to evaluate the benefits. Participant demonstrated improvement on quality of life and cognitive function whereas depression and perceived stress scale remained stable throughout the study. The quality of relationship between caregiver and care recipient also remained stable. Caregiver perceived stress level was improved through the study. DMA helped in evoking the participant’s remote memories and brought joy and comfort to the participant. The caregiver also expressed the paradigm shift of her attention from focusing on the participant disability to his remaining abilities. This study demonstrates the feasibility of independent used of DMA for reminiscence work that appears to stimulate remote memory and enhance psychosocial well-being for people with dementia.
KEYWORDS
Older adult dementia, Reminiscence, Life review, Person-centred care, ICT
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