Piasek, Paulina (2015) Case studies in therapeutic SenseCam use aimed at identity maintenance in early stage dementia. PhD thesis, Dublin City University.
Abstract
In the absence of a medical cure for memory loss new technologies specialised in pervasive imaging are being incorporated into interventions for dementia. The practice of lifelogging is a digital capture of life experiences typically through mobile devices such as SenseCam. The lightweight wearable digital camera passively captures about 3,000 images a day. Lifelogging results in personal, recent prompts, potentially encouraging sharing of personal memories. This research investigated the incorporation of lifelogging technology into a therapeutic approach aimed to support people with dementia by using the Case Study method, an exploratory and descriptive approach. The case study is a method of empirical inquiry that enables investigation of phenomenon within its real life context. SenseCam therapy aimed to stimulate the cognition of a person with dementia, with support of their personal identity as its primary goal. SenseCam images were used as cues to meaningful discussions about the person’s recent memories. The images enabled a construction of a particular version of the participants’ identities mainly based in their recent past. On the contrary participants seemed to valorise their identity of their distant past. The SenseCam identity also contained uncensored details from participants’ lives as revealed by review of SenseCam images. The exposing nature of SenseCam images posed risks to the users’ privacy and showed the potential ethical risks of using lifelogging technology with people with dementia.
There is limited literature on the practical recommendations on how to use lifelogging devices and how they affect people with dementia. The results from this research indicate that a number of factors should be considered when using lifelogging technology with people with dementia. Firstly the contextual factors of people with dementia including the level of cognitive impairment, existing coping mechanisms and the interaction patterns with the carer need to be considered. Secondly the technology should be used within a therapeutic framework and tailored to suit the individual needs of both people with dementia and their carers. Lastly intimate and unexpected details from the participant’s life should be discussed in an ethical and sensitive manner. Implications of not working within these boundaries show clear potential for undermining the human rights and potentially the wellbeing of people with dementia.
Metadata
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) |
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Date of Award: | 10 September 2015 |
Refereed: | No |
Supervisor(s): | Irving, Kate and Smeaton, Alan F. |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | Dementia; Psychosocial Interventions |
Subjects: | Computer Science > Lifelog Medical Sciences > Geriatric nursing Medical Sciences > Psychology |
DCU Faculties and Centres: | DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health > School of Nursing and Human Sciences |
Use License: | This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. View License |
ID Code: | 20807 |
Deposited On: | 24 Nov 2015 14:47 by Kate Irving (lupton) . Last Modified 19 Jul 2018 15:06 |
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