Adopting smart care

Project introduction and background information

Space for adoption investigates the disconnect between the potential and actual use of smart interactive environments in dementia care. While these technologies are designed to enhance autonomy, engagement, and wellbeing, they are often underused or abandoned after initial implementation. This project explores the behavioural, organisational and systemic factors underlying this gap. Using a multi-method research design, it engages with established technology acceptance theories, such as the UTAUT, while critically extending these frameworks to accommodate the specific demands of dementia care. Combining qualitative insights from care professionals with ethnographic observations and systems analysis, the study reveals affective, normative and institutional barriers to sustained technology use. Rather than treating adoption as a static outcome, the research conceptualises it as an evolving process shaped by social dynamics, emotional readiness, and infrastructural integration. By proposing design-based and operational strategies, such as adaptive training, interface redesign and embedded workflows, Space for adoption, contributes to a more context-sensitive understanding of long-term technology integration in high-complexity care environments.