Design of a Markov decision process system to guide people with moderate-to-severe dementia through the activity of handwashing.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 200
Description: To support the growing population of people with dementia in Canada, technologies are being developed to assist with the completion of activities of daily living. A Markov decision process (MDP) based planning system was designed for a device that guides people with moderate-to-severe dementia through the activity of handwashing. The effectiveness of the MDP system was evaluated through an efficacy study by 30 professional caregivers. Participants observed and rated three scenarios of an actor portraying dementia being guided through handwashing by a human caregiver and three scenarios guided by the MDP system. Human guidance was rated statistically significantly higher than MDP guidance, however, based on qualitative data, participants were unaware that computer guidance was involved. Several limitations of the current system have been identified which require improvement in future stages of research. This research has shown that MDPs can potentially be applied to the guidance of activities of daily living.
Notes: Adviser:  Geoff Fernie.

Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, page: 0902.

MICR copy on microfiche (3 microfiches).