God vård och användning av digitala hjälpmedel : Föreställningar hos äldre och vårdpersonal

Sammanfattning: The overall aim of this thesis was to describe the perceptions about care and the use ofdigital assistive technology among elderly people and caregivers. Perceptions are continuallychanging depending on technical and socio-political developments and changes in society.The research presented here consists of data gathered to assess these perspectives, and thesubsequent analysis and interpretation.In study I and II, individual interviews were conducted with twelve healthy elderlycouples living in their own homes. All participants were 70 years of age or older and none ofthem received any professional care or social support. The interviews were substantiated bywritten scenarios considered to be realistic descriptions of imaginary examples of the state ofhealth and wellbeing for themselves in the future. The participants were asked what theybelieved would be the best solution concerning quality care and the use of assistivetechnology in each scenario. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the text.For study III and IV, a questionnaire was developed to probe the perceptions of a digitalphoto diary for use by people with dementia. The respondents were employees of the Swedishmunicipalities in a position to be able to influence the implementation of digital assistivetechnology for use by people with dementia. The data was analyzed with descriptive statistics,multivariate statistics and qualitative content analysis.The first study revealed that participants tried to maintain their sense of self and desireddignified care. The receipt of care in one’s own home was considered preferable as it enabledpartners to remain together; later on, in contrast, the best care was perceived to be that offeredby a nursing home with well-trained nursing staff. In study II, the use of assistive technologywas perceived to be an asset by participants since it would enable them to continue living anormal life despite having some disabilities. In the absence of a partner or if their cognitiveimpairment increased, their willingness to use assistive technology would decrease, and thetechnology was considered to be an obstacle. In both studies there was a pervading concernabout the risk of losing a sense of individuality in the absence of meaningful relationships.In study III, perceptions related to the prerequisites for and consequences of using thedigital photo diary were investigated. The analysis of factor analysis concerningconsequences, revealed four factors; trust, vulnerability, dependency/independency andcontrol. The results interpreted from the qualitative data emphasized the importance ofPersonalization and the preservation of dignity when using the device. The prerequisite mostoften specified was the need for digital photo diary to be introduced in an early stage of thedisease.In study IV, caregivers’ perceptions on how persons with mild dementia will experiencethe usage of a digital photo diary were examined. The digital photo diary considered wasperceived to contribute to a Sense of autonomy, Sense of self-esteem and a Sense of trustamong people with dementia.These findings highlight the context-dependence of the perceptions about quality careand the use of digital assistive technology for elderly people. An overall understanding of theresults emphasizes the importance of personalized and dignified support, and this should betaken into consideration when organizing quality care and implementing new digital assistivetechnology for use by elderly people.