PRE2023 3 Group2
Reserved for Satya, Petar, Alonso, Sander, Gabriel
Group Members
| Name | Student ID | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Satya Dharmawan | ||
| Petar | ||
| Alonso Geeksink Antón | ||
| Sander Erbrink | 1862146 | Industrial Engineering |
| Gabriël van Dijk | 1862081 | Industrial Engineering |
Problem Statement
The increasing quality of life on a global scale, coupled with the economic conditions in first-world countries where the cost of living per capita is steadily rising, has contributed to a demographic shift characterized by an aging population. Consequently, nations are faced with the imperative of allocating increased resources to elder care, exacerbating an existing shortage of caretakers. Conditions such as loneliness and prevalent health issues, including dementia, accentuate the vulnerability of the aging population, fostering a decline in both mental and physical well-being especially if there is no one to accompany and assist them.
Planning
| Week | Task | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planning and setting up | Everyone |
| 2 | Literature research | Everyone |
| 3 | Functional requirements | |
| First conceptual design | ||
| 4 | Second conceptual design | |
| 5 | Building prototype | |
| 6 | Building prototype | |
| 7 | Testing prototype | |
| Evaluate results | ||
| 8 | Finish the wiki |
Objectives
Deliverables
USE
User:
- The main user of this technology will be the elderly that does not have a caretaker assigned to them nor other people to give them assistance. However, this does not limit to just the elderly, but whoever has a medical condition that does not allow them to adhere to the prescribed medication doses along with no one being able to take care of them doing their day to day tasks.
Society:
- Caretakers:
- This would potentially reduce the burnout rate from caretakers as they have been reported to be burnt out due to low pay in addition to long hours due to the caretaker shortage.
- Government:
- The main benefit for them would be that they could allocate less resources or subsidies to train/hire more caretakers and potentially increase more spending on healthcare providers as the elderly, especially those with dementia has a lower medication adherence. Thus the likelihood of coming back and using healthcare services would be higher.
- Healthcare services:
- As mentioned previously, due to potentially having lower intake from the elderly, the burden on the healthcare services would be lower.
Enterprise:
- Given the current socioeconomic state globally, the trend of aging population will continue to increase unless large changes to the economic and social policies are made. Thus, this can be seen as a growing market.
- There will be a lot of business opportunities with AI chatbot companies as they will be the ones advancing the algorithm for the interaction between the robot and the user.
Milestones
State Of The Art
Caregiver and Clinician Shortages in an Aging Nation
The nursing home industry experiences a higher turnover rate, attributed to comparatively lower wages and benefits, especially when compared to positions in hospitals. This is exacerbated by staffing shortages, leading to increased workloads and often necessitating staff members to take on multiple shifts in a day. Simultaneously, societal values are shifting towards individualism, contributing to the fragmentation of families due to factors like divorce or geographic distance. This trend results in a decline in the availability of "informal care providers," typically family members. The rise in nonmaternal caregivers, such as nannies or day-cares, not only weakens emotional bonds between parents and children but also contributes to a reduction in the pool of accessible informal care providers, further increasing the demand for nursing homes.
Medication Adherence in Older Patients With Dementia: A Systematic Literature Review
This article conducts a thorough analysis of medication adherence among elderly individuals with dementia, encompassing adherence levels, influential factors, and strategies for intervention. The review consistently establishes a link between dementia/cognitive impairment and medication nonadherence in diverse studies. It emphasises factors like patient characteristics, disease conditions, and medication types as contributors to nonadherence. It highlights the necessity for customized interventions to enhance medication adherence in older individuals with dementia, emphasising the crucial role of caregiver support in this context.
This review highlights the substantial impact of cognitive impairment and dementia on the medication management skills of older individuals, emphasising the critical importance of evaluating their ability for self-administration through thorough assessments conducted by competent health professionals. Neglecting to address medication management skills in those with cognitive impairment could lead to heightened economic and healthcare burdens. Recognizing this potential consequence, the review urges immediate research into strategies for improving medicine-taking among individuals with cognitive impairment, emphasising the existing limitation in studies focused on this particular area.
The examination of the factors affecting the feeling of loneliness of the elderly
This study investigated the impact of a 12-week intervention program involving interactions with a seal robot on the well-being, mood, and loneliness of elderly residents in a nursing home. The findings indicated a notable reduction in loneliness scores among participants who engaged with the seal robot twice a week, in contrast to a control group. This observation is noteworthy, given that prior research on companion robots, such as Paro and AIBO, primarily emphasized mood enhancement without specifically addressing loneliness. The study suggests that companion robots, serving as substitutes for live animals, can effectively contribute to alleviating loneliness within nursing home environments.
The research brings attention to a unique discovery indicating a direct link between anthropomorphism and a reduction in loneliness. Participants experienced a decline in perceived loneliness following the use of Personal Voice Assistants (PVAs), consistent with earlier studies that propose the effectiveness of technology interventions, such as communication tools and virtual pet companions, in addressing loneliness among older adults. The results underscore the significance of anthropomorphism in alleviating loneliness, particularly evident in relational greetings. Notably, baseline loneliness served as a predictor for such interactions, revealing that individuals experiencing higher levels of loneliness were more inclined to engage with the PVA, initiating personal greetings with polite language and adherence to interaction rituals. This behavior suggests a strong desire for connection, highlighting the role of anthropomorphism in fostering meaningful interactions with the device.
The examination of the factors affecting the feeling of loneliness of the elderly
In this study on loneliness among the elderly, age played a significant role, revealing a consistent increase in loneliness among older individuals. Additionally, higher education levels were linked to higher levels of loneliness, likely influenced by socio-economic and cultural factors. Health-related aspects, including self-perceived health and physical functioning, were associated with loneliness, highlighting the complex relationship between health and social isolation. Maintaining strong social networks and regular family contacts were identified as crucial factors in reducing loneliness.