More people use wearable devices in their everyday lives, but how can these devices benefit people living with dementia? A new study aims to find out.

Wearable devices in dementia care

In dementia care, devices are commonly used to support safety and independence. This includes devices for location tracking or monitoring daily health. These tools are designed to protect and assist. However, many people living with dementia struggle to feel comfortable using these devices.

Beyond practical use, the challenge often lies in how these devices shape one’s sense of self. Some individuals report that the devices draw unwanted attention. This then makes their condition publicly visible. Others describe feelings of embarrassment or discomfort. This is because they feel the devices serve as a reminder they are no longer able to manage independently. This means, the devices are not fostering confidence or reassurance. Instead they may undermine the development of an empowered self-image. 

Yixuan Wei, PhD Student at King’s College London, Department of Engineering, said: “The study examines how people living with dementia, at different stages of the condition, form emotional connections with personal objects. Everyday items, such as accessories, photos, sculptures or objects carried regularly, can hold comfort, familiarity, and a sense of self. By understanding these relationships, the research aims to inform future designs of wearable technologies that feel less medical and more familiar and comfortable.

“Caregivers are invited to take part in the study due to their close involvement in daily care and their valuable insights into the preferences and behaviours of people living with dementia.”

What does the study involve?

The study hopes to make wearable devices feel more personal and less clinical. This could create a stronger emotional connection between the technology and the user. For this part of the study, caregivers were interviewed to give their views on how to improve wearable devices for people with dementia.

Caregivers who choose to take part will be invited to share up to 3 objects that the person they care for appears to have a strong attachment to. 

These may include: 

  • items they enjoy wearing or holding 
  • objects they like to carry with them 
  • anything that feels particularly meaningful: items they would prefer not to be without. 

Participation usually takes place through a conversation-based interview. These interviews are exploring caregivers’ perspectives on objects that hold significance for the person they support and how these objects relate to

 everyday routines and emotional experiences.

Ming Ho, a caregiver taking part in the study, said: “I’m always interested in things which look beyond the obvious memory symptoms of dementia. So I was really interested in this study, because I think you’re trying to look at the issue in a more creative way, and trying to acknowledge that people’s cognition affects how they accept help and what kind of support can be provided. 

“I think most aids are designed with a logical basis and don’t really take account of people’s irrational symptoms. I think anything that explores the complexity of non-logical response, emotion, and cognitive impairment is helpful – particularly in terms of symptoms like paranoia and confabulation. These can really make support hard, because there might be a core of truth in somebody’s antipathy towards something, and understanding that can be key to helping them in a practical way. That’s why I was interested in taking part.”

How can you get involved in dementia research?

Every 3 minutes someone in the UK develops dementia. Yet, just 1% of people who could take part in clinical trials for dementia research do so. Help support future generations to improve diagnosis, treatment and care through research. 

To find out if you are able to take part in a dementia study, sign in to your Join Dementia Research account or, if you are not already registered, sign up today.