"The Relief is Amazing": An In-situ Short Field Evaluation of a Personal Voice Assistive Technology for a User Living with Dementia.

We present a first short field evaluation of IntraVox , a smart home assistive technology that has the potential to support older adults with dementia living independently at home. Based on sensor data, IntraVox uses a personalized human voice to send prompts and reminders to end-users to conduct daily life activities. During a short field study of seven days, IntraVox was installed in the home of an end-user with advanced dementia to prompt a lifestyle change. Additional feedback was collected from their family supporter and three carers. Results show that IntraVox has the potential to prompt end-users with complex needs into changing their actions. In particular, the family supporter found that IntraVox was “ 100% successful ” in that it allowed the family more time together rather than focusing on caregiving, and the relief afforded by the system was considered “ amazing ”. Thus, we argue the system has the potential to improve the quality of life of both the end-users and their carers. These preliminary findings will inform future larger studies that will assess the usability and feasibility of such systems.