Development of Personalized Assistive Technology to Improve Dementia Care at Home

描述（由申请人提供）：这份快速通道SBIR申请由乔治亚州亚特兰大的SimpleC公司提交，申请资金用于测试我们目前针对痴呆症患者（PWD）的行为管理技术——SimpleC伴侣，以及开发和测试一款新的移动平板电脑——SimpleC健康教练。SimpleC健康教练适用于绝大多数痴呆症患者接受护理的家庭养老市场。SimpleC高度个性化的人性化客户服务和先进的无线计算网络能够以大规模、经济高效的方式创建和提供有意义的护理干预措施。目前，“同伴”是一种固定式多功能电脑触摸屏，为生活辅助的残疾人士和长期护理机构的专用记忆护理单位提供个性化护理干预（“护理显示”）。重点是改善由照顾者确定的常见行为和神经精神症状，如冷漠、攻击和ADL的麻烦。我们以技术为基础的方法源于应用一系列经过测试的心理社会干预方法，如回忆、音乐、现实导向和使用数字媒体演示的模拟存在或“可信声音”，当根据个人客户的偏好和需求进行定制时，会导致积极的行为改变。我们的专有系统依赖于个性化而非通用媒体来吸引用户的参与。与通用的、一刀切的基于媒体的截然不同

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Fast-Track SBIR application submitted by SimpleC of Atlanta, Georgia, requests funds to test our current behavior management technology for persons with dementia (PWD), the SimpleC Companion, and to develop and test a new mobile tablet, the SimpleC Wellness Coach, in the in-home, aging in place market where the overwhelming majority of PWD receive their care. SimpleC's highly personalized human customer service and advanced wireless computing network enable the creation and delivery of meaningful care interventions on a large, cost-effective scale. Currently, the Companion is a stationary all-in-one computer touch screen that delivers personalized care interventions ('care shows') to PWD in assisted living and dedicated memory care units in long-term care facilities. The focus is on ameliorating common behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms identified by caregivers, such as apathy, aggression and trouble with ADL. Our technology-based approach grew out of applying a mix of tested psychosocial intervention methods such as reminiscence, music, reality orientation, and simulated presence or 'trusted voice' using a digital media presentation that, when customized to the individual client's preferences and needs, resulted in positive behavior change. Our proprietary system relies on personalized rather than generic media to elicit engagement in users. In distinct contrast to generic, one-size-fits-all media-based products, SimpleC assistive technology includes frequent individual engagement testing with the customized care shows. Unique to our product is the ability to process Companion usage patterns to feed back to the system in order to continuously refine care offerings and adjust to the changing demands of a progressive, neurodegenerative disease. In early outcome assessments, caregivers reported reduced caregiver burden and improved quality of life (QOL) after using the Companion. In Phase I, we will test the usability and early efficacy of the Companion to establish proof-of-principle in a new care environment, the private home, and define design iterations for the mobile Wellness Coach. In Phase II, we will design and test a mobile Wellness Coach prototype that is user-friendly for senior couples aging in place (with and without dementia), and build 30 beta units to test for usability and efficacy in a pilot randomized control trial with a range of disease severity conditions and a range of caregiver arrangements in order to evaluate the product with non-spouse caregivers. The main goal of the pilot efficacy study is to generate early outcome data on reducing behavior problems in the PWD and to measure caregiver burden and QOL in the home in the clinical population of interest. Plans for Phase III commercialization include scaling up the network and customer service capabilities, expanding our market distribution system to include home care services providers and other companies that work with PWD, and expanding the functionality of the mobile tablet to start serving clinical populations with cognitive impairment following stroke and traumatic brain injury.