Using Living Labs to Explore Needs and Solutions for Older Adults With Dementia: Scoping Review

Henk Verloo; Adrien Lorette; Joëlle Rosselet Amoussou; Estelle Gillès de Pélichy; Alcina Matos Queirós; Armin von Gunten; Elodie Perruchoud

doi:10.2196/29031

Using Living Labs to Explore Needs and Solutions for Older Adults With Dementia: Scoping Review

JMIR Aging. 2021 Aug 19;4(3):e29031. doi: 10.2196/29031.

Authors

Henk Verloo^{1

2}, Adrien Lorette², Joëlle Rosselet Amoussou³, Estelle Gillès de Pélichy⁴, Alcina Matos Queirós^{5

6}, Armin von Gunten⁷, Elodie Perruchoud¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Health Sciences HES-SO Valais and Department of Nursing Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Sion, Switzerland.
² Service of Old Age Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Psychiatry Library, Education and Research Department, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁴ Service of Old Age Psychiatry, Sector West, Prangins Hospital, Lausanne University Hospital, Prangins, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Health and Social Welfare, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁶ Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
⁷ Head of the Service of Old Age Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland.

PMID: 34420916
PMCID: PMC8414306
DOI: 10.2196/29031

Abstract

Background: Numerous living labs have established a new approach for studying the health, independent living, and well-being of older adults with dementia. Living labs interact with a broad set of stakeholders, including students, academic institutions, private companies, health care organizations, and patient representative bodies and even with other living labs. Hence, it is crucial to identify the types of cocreations that should be attempted and how they can be facilitated through living labs.

Objective: This study aims to scope publications that examine all types of living lab activities, exploring the needs and expectations of older adults with dementia and seeking solutions, whether they live in the community or long-term health care facilities (LTHFs).

Methods: This scoping review was reported according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) recommendations for the extension of scoping reviews. We searched six bibliographic databases for publications up to March 2020, and a forward-backward citation chasing was performed. Additional searches were conducted using Google Scholar. The quality of the selected papers was assessed.

Results: Of the 5609 articles identified, we read 58 (1.03%) articles and retained 12 (0.21%) articles for inclusion and final analysis. All 12 articles presented an innovative product, developed in 4 main living labs, to assist older adults with cognitive disorders or dementia living in the community or LTHFs. The objectives of these studies were to optimize health, quality of life, independent living, home care, and safety of older adults with cognitive disorders or dementia, as well as to support professional and family caregivers or reduce their burdens. The overall methodological quality of the studies ranged from poor to moderate.

Conclusions: This scoping review identified several living labs playing a pivotal role in research aimed at older adults with dementia living in the community or LTHFs. However, it also revealed that living labs should conduct more better-quality interventional research to prove the effectiveness of their technological products or service solutions.

International registered report identifier (irrid): RR2-10.2147/SHTT.S233130.

Keywords: aged; cognitive dysfunction; dementia; living lab; long-term care; mobile phone; primary health care; technology.

©Henk Verloo, Adrien Lorette, Joëlle Rosselet Amoussou, Estelle Gillès de Pélichy, Alcina Matos Queirós, Armin von Gunten, Elodie Perruchoud. Originally published in JMIR Aging (https://aging.jmir.org), 19.08.2021.

Publication types

Review