Perceived usefulness of digital memory book among family caregivers of persons with dementia with and without communication deficits.

Abstract

The Memory Book approach to dementia care effectively fosters daily communication with individuals with dementia. With technological advancements, the traditional memory book intervention has evolved into digital forms. However, it remains unclear whether family caregivers (FCGs) perceive this transition as beneficial or not, especially when their loved ones with dementia demonstrate communicative deficits. To investigate the perceived usefulness of digital memory books, we conducted a survey using the Technology Acceptance Model in which 169 FCGs of individuals with dementia participated. The participants were categorized into two groups based on their observations of communicative deficits in their loved ones. We compared the perceived usefulness of digital memory books between these two groups using Welch's two-sample t-test. Additionally, we employed univariate general linear models to explore the communicative deficits underlying the participants' perceptions. Our findings revealed that FCGs dealing with communicative challenges in their loved ones found digital memory books to be more useful. Furthermore, 7 out of 11 communicative deficits assessed (e.g., anomia) significantly influenced FCGs' perception. The digital memory book intervention has the potential to improve both the quality and quantity of communication between FCGs and individuals with dementia alleviating caregiving burdens for FCGs.