Project title: Enabling Technologies for People with Dementia (ENABLE)

EU-programme: Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources Key Action no 6, The Ageing Population and Disabilities, Proposal no QLRT-2000-00653  

Project co-ordination: Professor Knut Engedal , Norwegian Centre of Dementia Research was administrative co-ordinator, with Inger Hagen, Ph.D. as scientific co-ordinator.  

Participating countries: England, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Lithuania.  

Duration: 01/03/2001 –31/08/2004 (completed).

ENABLE project homepage: http://www.enableproject.org/

Many people experiencing the disability of dementia wish to live in their own home as long as possible¹. However, their ability to maintain relationships and handle different tasks and activities deteriorates progressively and reduces their quality of life. The complexity of the built environment and the technology around them plays a role in the loss of abilities, and several carers emphasise the disabling role of contemporary technology. Taken together, this can lead to poorer functioning than otherwise could be possible. In the ENABLE project, technology to support memory, facilitate communication or provide activity and pleasure has been tried out by people with dementia in 5 different European countries. The results of the assessment trial show that:

• It is possible to facilitate independent living for people with dementia and promote their well-being through access to enabling technological systems and products.
• Successful implementation of assistive aids is cost-effective at both person and society level. However, the realisation of this potential will depend upon the system for funding of assistive devices, since many families lack sufficient funds to pay for at least some of the devices.

Seven different devices were tested. Eighty persons with dementia and their carers completed the trial, which means that they used the device for at least 3 months. The results show that access to an assistive device enabled many participants to carry out some daily tasks which they previously were unable to perform, such as:

• know what day and date it is, and whether it is night or day,
• make telephone calls,
• take their medicines at the appropriate time,
• save time searching for mislaid objects,
• find their way to the bathroom at night thanks to the light from the automatic lamp,
• use their cooker without being anxious of forgetting to turn it off
• playing with the PC-based “Do-it-yourself” Picture Gramophone. This activity generated much pleasure and stimulation.

Pictures of the devices and more information can be found on www.enableproject.org.

The knowledge developed in the ENABLE project has implications and relevance both for people with dementia, their carers and organisations, health and care professionals, policy makers, researchers and teachers, as well as assistive technology centres and companies that develop and market assistive aids. The project has opened up new dimensions and perspectives in dementia care.

The results from the project have been presented at several international conferences. The ENABLE partners arranged a cross-disciplinary conference in Oslo in June 2004. This final conference which marked the end of this 3 1/2 year project, attracted nearly 130 participants from many countries.

Recent scientific papers from the project are published in: Dementia. The International Journal on Social Research and Practice, October, 2004.

Last updated April 12th 2005