An investigation into the usability of the STAR training and re-skilling website for carers of persons with dementia

Due to the successes in medical science people are now beginning to live much longer. With this brings increased problems associated with ageing, with one exemplar being dementia. Persons with dementia require care with activities of daily living, for example, with washing, dressing and eating. This requires additional care, which is usually provided by family and friends who assume the role of informal carers. Provision of care by informal carers brings irreversible changes to their lives that can lead to depression and feelings of loneliness. In part, these changes are linked with carers having insufficient understanding and training with dementia. The EU funded STAR project created an web portal that aims to provide the necessary online training that carers need, however, the usability of such a provision warrants investigation. This paper presents the findings of a usability test conducted on five carers of people with dementia while using the STAR Training Website. For the 21 usability issues identified, the paper outlines proposed solutions.