“Just like meeting in person” - Examination of interdependencies in dementia-friendly virtual activities.

Abstract

Many dementia-friendly social programs were adapted to online delivery due to the COVID pandemic. Hasty adaptations make it unclear how to design these programs to capture the benefits of online delivery and face-to-face interactions. To understand the complexities of program delivery, we interviewed program coordinators and held focus groups with people living with dementia (PLWD) and their informal carers. We applied an interdependence framework to examine how the relationships between individuals affect program benefits. We found that interdependencies within an organization related to finances and networking are key and that organizational and individual interdependencies converge during program delivery. Our findings suggest these two interdependencies could influence one another more effectively if technology, like video conferencing, were designed to account for it. We discuss how an expanded notion of interdependency for the design of technology helps expand inclusivity in accessible social programs.