Digital technology is now woven into everyday life, shaping how people communicate, organise support, and maintain relationships. From messaging platforms to video calls, these tools are often promoted as effective alternatives to in-person interaction. Yet for a long time, it remained unclear whether such benefits extended to people living with dementia and to those who care for them, given the cognitive, emotional, and practical challenges associated with the condition.
Recent research helps clarify this uncertainty. Findings led by Li-Mei Chen, Assistant Professor of Social Work at George Mason University and a gerontologist specialising in dementia care and digital health, indicate that technology-enabled interventions can meaningfully support both people living with dementia and their caregivers. Rather than serving merely as substitutes for face-to-face contact, these digital approaches have been shown to improve self-efficacy, emotional wellbeing, social connectedness, and coordination of care. Together, these outcomes suggest that digital tools can contribute to both quality of life and more effective caregiving when thoughtfully designed and implemented.
For caregivers, the benefits are particularly evident in areas such as mental health, confidence, and access to information. Digital education programmes, online peer support, and care coordination platforms can reduce feelings of isolation and enhance caregivers’ sense of competence. People living with dementia may also benefit through improved emotional wellbeing and sustained social engagement, challenging assumptions that digital tools are inherently unsuitable for individuals with cognitive impairment. Instead, the findings highlight that usefulness depends less on diagnosis and more on how technology aligns with users’ abilities and needs.
Crucially, no single type of technology emerges as universally superior. The success of digital dementia care interventions appears to rest on personalisation, ease of use, and the integration of multiple care approaches. Tools that combine communication, education, monitoring, and psychosocial support are more effective than those relying on a single function. This reinforces the importance of viewing digital solutions as part of a broader, person-centred care system rather than isolated technological fixes.
Digital tools are generally feasible and acceptable, particularly when they are intuitive and culturally responsive. However, the research also reveals significant equity gaps. Most interventions have focused on English-speaking, higher-income, and urban populations, leaving non-English speakers, lower-income individuals, and those in rural areas underrepresented. These limitations restrict who can benefit from current digital dementia care and risk reinforcing existing inequalities in access to support.
The study underpinning these conclusions takes a novel, integrative approach. It reviews 27 studies on technology-based interventions designed to support ageing in place, meaning enabling people with dementia to remain in their own homes as they age. Unlike earlier reviews that examined single technologies in isolation, this work maps how different types of digital interventions function together to support everyday living. Using the World Health Organization Digital Health Intervention framework, the research systematically categorises intervention types and examines social determinants of digital access. It also highlights a persistent lack of inclusive, culturally adapted design processes that meaningfully involve people living with dementia themselves. Addressing these gaps will be essential if digital dementia care is to become more equitable, effective, and responsive to diverse lived experiences.
More information: Li-Mei Chen et al, Technology that Supports Extending Dementia-Friendly Community-Based Care: A Scoping Review, Current Geriatrics Reports. DOI: 10.1007/s13670-025-00446-x
Journal information: Current Geriatrics Reports Provided by George Mason University
