Towards a Consumer-Directed Service Delivery of Digital Technologies for Ageing in Place to People with Dementia

Abstract: One of the major societal challenges occuring within our time is that of the increased elderly population and subsequently elderly people suffering from dementia. However, the existing workforce for taking care of this population is rapidly diminishing, thus alternatives or aids are needed. Digital technologies for ageing in place are offered by Swedish municipalities as part of their welfare services. Their aim, to maintain the independency and prolong the time staying at home or also known as “ageing in place”. However, it is important that people with dementia have a say in the delivery of such services by maintaining a consumer-directed role.This thesis address the question: What are the consumer-directed challenges for service delivery of digital technologies for ageing in place to elderly with dementia?The thesis adopts a consumer-directed perspective, meaning that it perceives people with dementia as able to control and direct the delivery of digital technologies for ageing in place. The thesis uses a qualitative case study methodology and a literature review approach. Three case studies are conducted. The first case studied the challenges occuring in the delivery of digital technologies for ageing in place in a Swedish municipality. The second case was conducted at a dementia care residence with the purpose of identifying various needs (from staff, relatives and people with dementia) for suggesting possible digital technologies. The third case investigated the level of Consumer Direction people with dementia have over the delivery process of a mobile security alarm as part of the welfare services. This thesis identifies a number of challenges in the delivery process to people with dementia, and gives an overview of the problematic areas within such process. Lastly the thesis provides insights on the factors that influence the acceptance of digital technologiesf or ageing in place, as a step towards the actual use of the technologies that takes place under the delivery process.