RESD: Steps Towards Improving The Design of Reminder Systems for Older Adults with Dementia using Eye Trackers

Abstract

Assistive technology (AT) refers to technology used to aid, increase, or improve the capabilities of people with disabilities. AT for older adults with cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other dementias has advanced tremendously with researchers further developing monitoring systems for wandering, reminder systems, and therapy applications to improve the quality of life for these older adults. AD is a disease of the brain that causes long-term memory loss, confusion, irritability, aggression, and difficulty with speech in those who suffer with the disease. Technology developed for older adults with AD has many limitations to address and improvements to be made. Researchers have tested how successful reminder system are at giving reminders, but many do not test how reminders affect the participant’s daily life. For instance, are older adults with AD 1) able to accomplish more tasks because of these reminder, 2) are the reminders being acknowledged by the older adult, or 3) has the older adult successfully attempted to complete the task the reminder gave? This research is step towards improving the way reminder systems for older adults with early stages of AD are developed by first understanding how older adults acknowledge reminders using eye trackers. A game system was developed to monitor the attention and performance of older adults using an eye tracker and a mouse tracker.