Currently, there are approximately 130,000 people living with dementia in Austria. The majority of those affected live at home. People with dementia and their family members and caregivers experience a progressive process of withdrawal from various areas of society, which is accompanied by a reduction in their mobility outside the home. However, this mobility is a key prerequisite for the social participation of people with dementia.
There is a lack of basic knowledge regarding the out-of-home mobility of people with dementia in metropolitan areas in Austria. To date, there has been no integration of technical solutions with an assessment of the emotional and social circumstances of people with dementia and their caregivers and family members, nor have there been usability studies for technical support systems designed for people with dementia. Consequently, there is a significant need—both in the field of planning sciences and among public transportation operators—for raising awareness, generating knowledge, and developing approaches for concrete, orientation-enhancing design measures.
In a collaboration between the IFF—Institute for Palliative Care and Organizational Ethics, University of Klagenfurt, Vienna, and Graz; the Office for Sustainable Competence, Vienna; Caritas Socialis, Vienna; and Wiener Linien, we are pursuing the following goals in light of this:
- To investigate everyday stories about the out-of-home mobility of physically mobile people with dementia through participatory, qualitative research involving the diverse group of “people with dementia” and their caregivers and loved ones.
- Conduct user-centered usability studies using existing technologies in the field of transportation information and information-based technologies for the target group of “people with dementia,” with a focus on public transportation.
- Develop recommendations for action based on the two-part foundational study ( Everyday Stories & Usability Study) regarding the application and use of the findings for relevant stakeholders.
