"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.