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Pivoting an MCI Empowerment Program to Online Engagement

Published: 14 January 2022 Publication History

Abstract

In the Spring of 2020, closures and safe distancing orders swept much of the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper presents a case study of pivoting an in-person empowerment program focused on lifestyle interventions for people newly diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to an online program. Working as rapidly as possible to sustain participant engagement, our design decisions and subsequent iterations point to initial constraints in telehealth capabilities, as well as learning on the fly as new capabilities and requirements emerged. We present the discovery of emergent practices by family members and healthcare providers to meet the new requirements for successful online engagement. For some participants, the online program led to greater opportunities for empowerment while others were hampered by the lack of in-person program support. Providers experienced a sharp learning curve and likewise missed the benefits of in-person interaction, but also discovered new benefits of online collaboration. This work lends insights and potential new avenues for understanding how lifestyle interventions can empower people with MCI and the role of technology in that process.

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  • (2023)Applying Technology in a Hybrid-Fashion to Create Dementia-Inclusive Community SpacesACM SIGACCESS Accessibility and Computing10.1145/3584732.3584733(1-1)Online publication date: 15-Feb-2023
  • (2022)Applying Technology in a Hybrid-Fashion to Create Dementia-Inclusive Community SpacesProceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility10.1145/3517428.3550412(1-6)Online publication date: 23-Oct-2022
  • (2022)“Just like meeting in person” - Examination of interdependencies in dementia-friendly virtual activities.Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility10.1145/3517428.3544815(1-15)Online publication date: 23-Oct-2022

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cover image Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction  Volume 6, Issue GROUP
GROUP
January 2022
992 pages
EISSN:2573-0142
DOI:10.1145/3511803
Issue’s Table of Contents
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Published: 14 January 2022
Published in PACMHCI Volume 6, Issue GROUP

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  1. aging
  2. empowerment
  3. keywords{mild cognitive impairment (mci)
  4. telehealth
  5. telewellness}

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View all
  • (2023)Applying Technology in a Hybrid-Fashion to Create Dementia-Inclusive Community SpacesACM SIGACCESS Accessibility and Computing10.1145/3584732.3584733(1-1)Online publication date: 15-Feb-2023
  • (2022)Applying Technology in a Hybrid-Fashion to Create Dementia-Inclusive Community SpacesProceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility10.1145/3517428.3550412(1-6)Online publication date: 23-Oct-2022
  • (2022)“Just like meeting in person” - Examination of interdependencies in dementia-friendly virtual activities.Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility10.1145/3517428.3544815(1-15)Online publication date: 23-Oct-2022

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