Perspectives on Technology Use in Dementia Care – An Exploratory Study of Nursing Homes in Luxembourg

While technology is often considered a viable solution to many health related problems, its use in dementia care is still underrepresented. Although reasons for this lack of penetration may be rooted in the organisational stiffness of nursing homes, it is often the missing knowledge about daily working routines, which makes it difficult for technology providers to offer solutions that better fit the specific needs of care personnel and their patients. This article aims to shed some light on guiding principles in dementia care, the consequent challenges care workers face, and how they feel about the current and potential future use of technology to support their daily working routines. A three-stage Delphi study approach served as the methodological construct for our analysis, through which we aimed to find agreement among care workers in Luxembourg. Respective results point to six key characteristics as being central to work procedures in dementia care, i.e., (1) the application of nursing theories as the backbone for dementia care, (2) the adherence to guidelines, (3) the adaptation to patients’ individual capabilities, (4) the need for documentation and biographical work, (5) the need for effective communication, and (6) the need for flexibility. Where technology aligns with these key characteristics, it is perceived to be beneficial to the treatment of psychological as well as behavioural symptoms of dementia, to support the work in multidisciplinary teams and to help with documentation and communication.