A Needs-Led, Person-Centred Framework for Technology-Enabled Support of Independent Living in Dementia: The CONSOLIDATE Network

Mario A Parra¹, Anna Clements, Rachel McLauchlan, Amy Connelly, Vivek Pattan, Seshadri Vasan, Roma Maguire, Kieren Egan, Euan Winton, Theodoros Georgiou, Lynne Baillie, Alan Gow

1) Department of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

Background: Dementia prevalence continues to rise globally, with increasing social, economic and care burdens driven by population ageing and disease progression. Most people living with dementia wish to remain independent and live in their own homes for as long as possible; however, needs change substantially across disease stages and are shaped by cognitive, behavioural, psychological, social and environmental factors. While digital and assistive technologies offer potential to support independent living, many existing solutions lack robust evidence, fail to address meaningful user needs, or risk exacerbating inequalities. There is a critical gap for needs-led, person-centred and theory-informed approaches that integrate technology with behavioural, social and health interventions to slow functional decline and enhance quality of life.

Methods: CONSOLIDATE is a multidisciplinary, quadruple-helix innovation network bringing together people living with dementia, carers, researchers, third sector organisations, health and social care providers, and industry partners. Using participatory and co-design methodologies, the Network focuses on identifying meaningful functional needs and co-developing technology-enabled solutions that adapt across dementia stages (Fig 1). The network integrates scoping reviews, person-centred consultations, feasibility studies, capacity-building workshops, and business incubation, underpinned by principles of equality, responsibility, and sustainability.

Results: Pre-application patient and public involvement identified strong openness to technology among people living with dementia, coupled with concerns about complexity, fragmentation and digital exclusion. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of technologies that promote learning, engagement and social connection rather than passive monitoring. The CONSOLIDATE framework addresses these priorities by integrating multiple intervention targets, reducing device burden, and embedding responsible innovation practices. Planned outputs include co-designed feasibility studies integrating multiple intervention aims, workforce upskilling, and pathways for scalable deployment through trusted third-sector platforms.

Conclusions: CONSOLIDATE provides a scalable, person-centred model for co-designing technology-enabled solutions that support independent living with dementia. By aligning meaningful functional assessment, participatory design and responsible innovation, the network aims to yield technologies that slow functional decline, reduce care burden, and enhance quality of life while addressing inequalities in access and adoption. This approach offers a transferable framework for future dementia research, technology development and policy implementation.