Pilot Evaluation of Technology-enhanced Horticultural Activities Among the People With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers

NCT ID: NCT05577975

Last Updated: 2022-10-13

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-09-01

Study Completion Date

2024-08-30

Brief Summary

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Horticultural therapy is one of the effective interventions for the person with dementia(PWD) which could increase their time engaging in leisure activities and decrease their time doing nothing. However, there are some limitations and constraints for PWD to participate in the horticultural therapy especially in the high-density cities (e.g. Hong Kong). This study aims to investigate the feasibility and preliminary effects of adopting home-based technology-enhanced horticultural activities. The program will consist of three face-to-face (F-T-F) horticultural activity training session for a group of 6-8 participants and then biweekly telephone follow-up for 8-week home-based horticultural intervention. Program evaluation will be conducted through focus groups with 15 participants with different levels of stress reduction after the intervention. It is hypothesized that the PWD and their caregiver will have a significant improvement in the cognitive function and behavioral symptoms of the PWD, an increase in the positive caregiving experience in the family caregivers, a reduction of the caregivers' level of stress and depressive symptoms, and enhancement of the quality of life of the family caregivers after the intervention.

Detailed Description

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Objective This study aims to investigate the feasibility and preliminary effects of adopting home-based technology-enhanced horticultural activities to: a) improve the cognitive function and behavioral symptoms of the PWD; b) promote the positive caregiving experience in the family caregivers; c) reduce the caregivers' level of stress and depressive symptoms; and d) improve the quality of life of the family caregivers. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first program adopting Smart Grower for horticultural intervention among the PWD and their family caregivers in Hong Kong.

Method The home-based technology-enhanced horticultural activities will be delivered for the people with dementia and their family caregivers through a smart grower. The smart grower is a hydroponic indoor grower that builds a controllable environment with auto optimization for growing healthy plants, fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits. A mobile app will be connected to the grower for controlling the growing environment (e.g. lighting, watering), tracking the progress of the plants, guiding the older people with dementia and their family caregiver to conduct the horticulture activities. The program will consist of three face-to-face (F-T-F) horticultural activity training session for a group of 6-8 participants and then biweekly telephone follow-up for 8-week home-based horticultural intervention. The home-based program contains different horticultural, cognitive and multisensory stimulation activities such asking the PWD and the family caregiver to record the sense of touch and odor when taking care of the plant and the various changes of the plants by using the smart grower. Program evaluation will be conducted through focus groups with 15 participants with different levels of stress reduction after the intervention. The aims of the focus groups is to identify the strengths, limitations, and difficulties of the home-based technology-enhanced horticultural program.

Significance and Value In this project, we would like to collaborate with the elderly center to deliver the technology-enhanced horticultural activities for PWD in the community and make this program sustainable in the community. Meanwhile, we will collect the users' feedback and further modify the program to fit the needs of the people with dementia and the family caregivers.

In the future, we hope that the program will not only benefit the community-dwelling older people but also those receiving service in the respite center, day care center, hospice and nursing home as they are also facing the challenges of manpower shortage, issues of loneness and poor psychological health. We will base on the data and results collected from this proposed study and further revise the program and software for servicing the older people in nursing through a group-based approach.

Conditions

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Dementia

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Intervention Arm

The program will consist of three face-to-face (F-T-F) horticultural activity training session for a group of 6-8 participants and then biweekly telephone follow-up for 8-week home-based horticultural intervention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

The Aspara @ smart grower

Intervention Type DEVICE

The program will consist of three face-to-face (F-T-F) horticultural activity training session for a group of 6-8 participants and then biweekly telephone follow-up for 8-week home-based horticultural intervention. The home-based program contains different horticultural, cognitive and multisensory stimulation activities such asking the PWD and the family caregiver to record the sense of touch and odor when taking care of the plant and the various changes of the plants by using the smart grower. Program evaluation will be conducted through focus groups with 15 participants with different levels of stress reduction after the intervention.

Interventions

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The Aspara @ smart grower

The program will consist of three face-to-face (F-T-F) horticultural activity training session for a group of 6-8 participants and then biweekly telephone follow-up for 8-week home-based horticultural intervention. The home-based program contains different horticultural, cognitive and multisensory stimulation activities such asking the PWD and the family caregiver to record the sense of touch and odor when taking care of the plant and the various changes of the plants by using the smart grower. Program evaluation will be conducted through focus groups with 15 participants with different levels of stress reduction after the intervention.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. The PWD

1. Aged 65 or above who had been diagnosed with any type of dementia at the early to moderate stage
2. Are Community-dwelling (i.e., non-institutionalized),
3. Are Able to understand Cantonese and follow simple instruction
2. The family caregivers

1. Aged 18 years or above;
2. the blood or by-marriage relatives (e.g. spouses, siblings, children, and grandchildren) of a person who has been clinically diagnosed with dementia, regardless of its types and these relatives are taking up the caring responsibilities ranging from physical aids to emotional supports, in the form of transportation, financial assistance, personal hygiene, and decision-making.;
3. Providing most of the daily care and support for PWD (daily contact for at least four hours); and
4. Able to speak Cantonese

Exclusion Criteria

The PWD and the family caregivers

1. Are diagnosed with a mental disorder such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, or depression; and/or,
2. Are taking anticonvulsants, or any kind of psychotropic drugs, and/or identified with a self-reported suicidal thought or drug abuse in the past 6 months.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Patrick KOR Pui Kin

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Patrick Kor, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Locations

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The Hong Kong Polytechnic Univeristy

Hong Kong, , Hong Kong

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Hong Kong

Central Contacts

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Patrick Kor, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

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Patrick Kor

Role: primary

References

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Chau, P. H., McGhee, S. M., Yu, R., Cheung, W. L., Chan, K. C., Cheung, S. H., & Woo, J. (2010). Dementia Trends: Impact of the Ageing Population and Societal Implications for Hong Kong. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

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Kor PPK, Liu JYW, Wong AKC, Tsang APL, Tan HZ, Cheung DSK, Leung HKW, Wong FKY. Effectiveness of a Dyadic Technology-Enhanced Home-Based Horticultural Therapy on Psychosocial Well-Being Among People With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers: Multimethods Pilot Study. JMIR Aging. 2025 Feb 5;8:e66017. doi: 10.2196/66017.

Reference Type DERIVED
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Other Identifiers

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HSEARS20220801002

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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