The Use of Smart Speakers in Care Home Residents: Implementation Study.

BACKGROUND: The use of smart speakers to improve well-being had been trialed in social care by others; however, we were not aware of their implementation in most care homes across a region in the Southwest of the United Kingdom. For the widespread adoption of new technology, it must be locally demonstrable and become normalized. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to install smart speakers in care homes in a rural and coastal region and to explore if and how the devices were being used, the barriers to their implementation, and their potential benefits. METHODS: Email, workshops, drop-in sessions, phone, and cold calling was used to contact all 230 care homes, offering a free smart speaker and some advisory support. Care homes accepting the devices were asked to complete a feedback diary. Nonresponse rate for diary completion was high and was thus supplemented with a telephone survey. RESULTS: Over the course of 7 months, we installed 156 devices in 92 care homes for older people, 50 devices for people with physical or mental health needs, and 8 for others. The devices were used mainly for music but also for poetry, recipes, light controls, jokes, and video calls. Care home managers reported the benefits for the residents, including enhanced engagement with home activities, enjoyment, calming effects, and the acquisition of new skills. Implementation problems included internet connectivity, staff capacity, and skills. CONCLUSIONS: Affordable consumer devices such as smart speakers should be installed in all care homes to benefit residents. Voice-activated technologies are easy to use and promote interaction. This study indicates that implementation in care homes was possible and that smart speakers had multifaceted benefits for residents and staff. Most care homes in this region now use smart speakers for their residents, thereby normalizing this practice.

Early Hour, Golden Hour: an Exploration of Slovenian Older People's Meaningful Occupations.

People are occupational beings and enabling older people to engage in meaningful occupations contributes to their health and well-being. Experiences of engagement and meaning in an occupation may differ in different socio-cultural contexts. The aim of this study was to explore Slovenian older people's individual experiences of engagement in occupation, with a particular emphasis on their meaningful occupations. The study employed a phenomenological research approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten Slovenian older adults, living independently in their home environment. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to approach and analyze the data. The findings highlighted that meaningful occupations and daily rituals represented an important part of the participants' identities. The meanings they attached to their occupations were informed by Slovenian socio-cultural, historical and physical context. A range of people and places were identified as significant in generating and maintaining these meanings. Participants gave particular significance to the role of productive, health-promoting and family-related occupations. The study contributes new occupational science knowledge and the findings support the case for increased recognition of the importance of meaningful occupation for older people.

Staff perceptions towards virtual reality-motivated treadmill exercise for care home residents: a qualitative feedback study with key stakeholders and follow-up interview with technology developer.

OBJECTIVES: Health and care resources are under increasing pressure, partly due to the ageing population. Physical activity supports healthy ageing, but motivating exercise is challenging. We aimed to explore staff perceptions towards a virtual reality (VR) omnidirectional treadmill (MOTUS), aimed at increasing physical activity for older adult care home residents. DESIGN: Interactive workshops and qualitative evaluation. SETTINGS: Eight interactive workshops were held at six care homes and two university sites across Cornwall, England, from September to November 2021. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-four staff participated, including care home, supported living, clinical care and compliance managers, carers, activity coordinators, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. INTERVENTIONS: Participants tried the VR treadmill system, followed by focus groups exploring device design, potential usefulness or barriers for care home residents. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. We subsequently conducted a follow-up interview with the technology developer (September 2022) to explore the feedback impact. RESULTS: The analysis produced seven key themes: anticipated benefits, acceptability, concerns of use, concerns of negative effects, suitability/unsuitability, improvements and current design. Participants were generally positive towards VR to motivate care home residents' physical activity and noted several potential benefits (increased exercise, stimulation, social interaction and rehabilitation). Despite the reported potential, staff had safety concerns for frail older residents due to their standing position. Participants suggested design improvements to enhance safety, usability and accessibility. Feedback to the designers resulted in the development of a new seated VR treadmill to address concerns about falls while maintaining motivation to exercise. The follow-up developer interview identified significant value in academia-industry collaboration. CONCLUSION: The use of VR-motivated exercise holds the potential to increase exercise, encourage reminiscence and promote meaningful activity for care home residents. Staff concerns resulted in a redesigned seated treadmill for those too frail to use the standing version. This novel study demonstrates the importance of stakeholder feedback in product design.

"Holding on to What I Do": Experiences of Older Slovenians Moving into a Care Home.

Purpose of the Study: This qualitative study explored Slovenian older people's experiences of transition into a care home and the influence on their everyday engagement in meaningful occupations. Design and Methods: A longitudinal, phenomenological approach was employed. Semistructured interviews with six Slovenian older adults were conducted at three time intervals: before the relocation, 1 month after, and 6 months after the relocation into a care home. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used for the study design and analysis. Results: One overarching theme from the research findings Holding on to what I do is presented in depth. Although the participants' everyday occupations were challenged throughout the transition, they tried to maintain their most meaningful occupations that were an important part of their identity. Three superordinate themes underpinned this overarching theme: This is who I am, Adjusting my daily occupations, and The value of health. Implications: The study indicated the need to develop programs and services for older adults transitioning from home into a care home environment. Focusing on enabling older people to maintain their engagement in meaningful occupations as an important part of their identity is imperative. This study brings a better understanding of older people's experiences of transition into a care home from an occupational perspective. It has the potential to influence how elder care is planned and implemented in Slovenia and further afield.