Implementation of an assistive technology for meal preparation within a supported residence for adults with acquired brain injury : a mixed-methods single case study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of implementing an assistive technology for meal preparation called COOK within a supported community residence for a person with an acquired brain injury. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, a multiple baseline single-case experimental design and a descriptive qualitative study were conducted. The participant was a 47-year-old woman with cognitive impairments following a severe stroke. She received 21 sessions of training on using COOK within a shared kitchen space. During meal preparation, independence and safety were evaluated using three tar-get behaviours: required assistance, task performance errors, and appropriate responses to safety issues, which were compared with an untrained control task, making a budget. Benefits, barriers, and facilitators were assessed via three individual interviews with the client and three focus groups with the care team. Results: Both quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that COOK significantly increased independ-ence and safety during meal preparation but not in the control task. Stakeholders suggested that the availability of a training toolkit to a greater number of therapists at the residence and installation of COOK within the client’s apartment would help with successful adoption of this technology. Conclusion: COOK is a promising assistive technology for individuals with cognitive deficits who live in supported community residences.