EN Alzheimer’s from the perspective of formal caregivers: can digital technologies be useful?

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Published: Jul 26, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34620/eduser.v16i2.252
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s dementia; Digital technologies; Formal caregivers.

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Cátia Vaz
CIEB, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Vitor Gonçalves
CIEB, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0645-6776
Célia Novais
CI-ISCE Douro, Higher Institute of Educational Sciences of Douro
Bruno F. Gonçalves
CIEB, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Alberto Rocha
CI-ISCE Douro, Higher Institute of Educational Sciences of Douro
Eduarda Silva
Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Pedro Forte
CI-ISCE Douro, Higher Institute of Educational Sciences of Douro
José E. Teixeira
Instituto Politécnico de Bragança; Bragança; Portugal; Instituto Politécnico da Guarda
Ricardo Baptista
9CI-ISCE Douro, Higher Institute of Educational Sciences of Douro
Helena M. Carvalho
CI-ISCE Douro, Higher Institute of Educational Sciences of Douro

Abstract

Alzheimer's dementia leads to a progressive decline in the individual's cognitive capacity, interfering with activities of daily living. Applying cognitive stimuli in the early stages can add value to slowing cognitive decline. In this process, can the use of digital technologies help to avoid the use of medication and delay the institutionalization of Alzheimer's patients? Therefore, the general aim of this article was to identify their perceptions of the use of digital technologies in the cognitive stimulation of Alzheimer's patients with formal careers. To this end, an action research methodology was applied, researching the state-of-the-art digital technologies that could be used in Alzheimer's disease from the perspective of formal careers. Sixty-two formal careers participated in this study, 74.2% of whom were female and the rest (25.8%) male. All those interviewed can identify signs of Alzheimer's dementia in patients. Regarding working with digital technologies with Alzheimer's dementia patients, a large percentage of the interviewees (73.6 percent) replied that they only use them sometimes, and 26.4 percent said they never use them. The data suggest that there is still resistance or a lack of confidence in the use of digital technologies on the part of formal careers working with patients with Alzheimer's dementia. However, even if they have never received specific training in this area, especially in cognitive stimulation, we can admit this is understandable.

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How to Cite
Vaz, C., Gonçalves, V., Novais, C., Gonçalves, B. F., Rocha, A. ., Silva, E., Forte, P., Teixeira, J. E. ., Baptista, R., & Carvalho, H. M. (2024). EN Alzheimer’s from the perspective of formal caregivers: can digital technologies be useful?. EduSer, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.34620/eduser.v16i2.252
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Vol. 16 No. 2 (2024): EduSer
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Articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biography

Vitor Gonçalves, CIEB, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança


 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0645-6776
Scopus Author ID: 56533400700
Researcher ID: G-5274-2012
Science ID: A310-FFD6-55A1

Mais informação em https://cieb.ese.ipb.pt/vitor-manuel-barrigao-goncalves

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