Using observational engagement assessment method VC-IOE for evaluating an interactive table designed for seniors with dementia

Seniors with dementia living in residential nursing homes are often lack of meaningful engagement and keeping them engaged in meaningful activities can help reduce boredom and improve their well-being. This paper presents an Interactive Table Design (ITD) for providing seniors with dementia meaningful engagements. An observational engagement assessment method, Video Coding – Incorporating Observed Emotion (VC-IOE), was adopted to further study the effectiveness of the intervention design. Qualitative data such as video recordings of four participants engaged with the ITD and comparison intervention Pim Pam Pet (PPP) in Vitalis Kelinschalig Wonen, were then analyzed following the video analysis protocols of VC-IOE. The results from video coding analysis provided an overview of participants’ emotional responses and engagement situations through six dimensions of engagement including emotional, verbal, visual, behavioral, collective engagement and agitation. The results showed sufficient positive impacts of ITD on participants which indicate that the ITD has the potential to be an effective intervention for providing seniors with dementia with meaningful engagement while keeping them socially connected in a nursing home.