Thinkability: A new app for cognitive stimulation for people with dementia

Rai, Harleen Kaur; Schneider, Justine; Orrell, Martin

Abstract

People with dementia benefit from activities that stimulate their cognition, and there is evidence that carers can benefit too. Among psychosocial interventions to help this group, cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is well established as the treatment of choice, and recent work indicates that an individual manualised version delivered by the carer can also have mutual benefits. However, there are likely to be benefits to have a computer-based version in terms of both accessibility and adaptability to different needs. ‘Thinkability’ is a touch-screen application for people with dementia and carers based on CST. The app comprises 21 game-like discussion activities developed and evaluated in three successive stages in collaboration with a software development company, people with dementia and carers using a mixed-methods approach consisting of informal consultations, focus groups, interviews, questionnaires and a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT). Feedback from people with dementia and carers indicated that Thinkability was enjoyable and had good usability. The trial results found signs of improvements in the quality of life (QoL) of carers.

Citation

Rai, H. K., Schneider, J., & Orrell, M. (2022). Thinkability: A new app for cognitive stimulation for people with dementia. In M. Orrell, D. Oliveira, O. McDermott, F. R. Verhey, F. C. Dassen, & R.-M. Dröes (Eds.), Improving the Lives of People with Dementia through Technology: Interdisciplinary Network for Dementia Utilising Current Technology (86-99). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003289005-10

• Publication Date: Nov 11, 2022
• Deposit Date: Nov 19, 2022
• Pages: 86-99
• Book Title: Improving the Lives of People with Dementia through Technology: Interdisciplinary Network for Dementia Utilising Current Technology
• ISBN: 9781032226675
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003289005-10
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/13754990
• Related Public URLs: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003289005-10/thinkability-harleen-kaur-rai-justine-schneider-martin-orrell