Functional Dementia Stages App for Hispanic Family Caregivers: Heuristic Evaluation and Usability Testing

Abstract

Hispanic family caregivers of persons with dementia are not getting the anticipatory guidance they need about how functional abilities will change as dementia progresses. Existing informational resources are overwhelming to navigate and written at a high reading level. Furthermore, professional assessment of functional abilities is not universally available. Innovative, tailored approaches are needed. Our aim was to develop and test a mobile application (app), the Interactive Functional Assessment Staging Navigator (I-FASTN), to support Hispanic family caregivers' assessment of care recipients' functional stage of dementia in either English or Spanish. We conducted heuristic evaluation with experts ( N = 5) and usability testing with caregivers ( N = 20). Chief usability problems were a confusing tutorial and difficulty finding the app's side menu. The app was well-received by caregivers, who indicated that the concise, illustrated content met their informational needs. However, analog alternatives are still needed by caregivers unaccustomed to using apps. [ Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49 (7), 9–15.]