In a research field that—despite our desire to focus on the humans involved—revolves around ‘computers’ and ‘technology’ as much as anything, technologically-minded researchers often take things like location-sensing via GPS tracking for granted.
Yet, as this article so poignantly illustrates, when one delves into what is actually needed to make that technology serve the needs of stake-holders ranging from nurses and caretakers, to the over-arching family-units and organizational structures—and (most critically) the patients themselves, where dementia often manifests in neuro-degenerative disorders that pose ever-shifting challenges for everyone involved—what seemingly should be a ‘simple’ step of location-tracking in the ‘turn to practice’ is fraught with technological, social, and ethical challenges.
Add to that the challenges of academia-industry collaboration mandated by funding structures, and the project-management issues become very complex indeed.