Resource Guide: Technology Trends & Innovations in Dementia Care
Technology Trends & Innovations in Dementia Care: A Resource Guide
by Russell Weigandt
Despite the disruptions of the pandemic, technology has continued to evolve to meet a set of newly urgent unmet needs, particularly for older adults who are now isolated. This roundup is our insider look at the latest trends and resources in technology for the care and treatment of individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD).
To simplify your search, we have grouped these new technologies by categories related to their functionality—specifically, technology that supports education, increases engagement, or promotes safety and security.
Education
While many of us understand that people with dementia experience the world differently, it can be easy to lose sight of the impact of cognitive impairment when trying to accomplish specific tasks and routines.
A still from a demo of the AFA’s Dementia Experience.
In order to spread awareness of these challenges and help caregivers connect with older adults living with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) created the Dementia Experience. In this virtual reality (VR) experience, participants enter the world of a man with Alzheimer’s and reveal his experience of common symptoms associated with the disease, such as sensory disorientation and vision impairment.
“The main purpose of the VR education experience is to enable caregivers to imagine, even just for a moment, what it’s like to live through this disease in their shoes,” said Kara Rogers, senior social worker at the AFA. “We wanted to help people grow empathy and compassion toward someone living with Alzheimer’s disease.” Participants experience hallucinations, confusion about cleaning and hygiene, difficulty with word association, and problems with medication management.
Individual families may reach out to the AFA for a 1-on-1 guided experience, free of charge. The experience is also available to professional service providers nationwide for training purposes. The software costs $300, and the AFA recommends the use of an Oculus Go 32-GB headset.
In addition to the AFA’s VR experience, there is a wide variety of applications for both Apple iOS and Android devices that support caregivers of individuals with ADRD. Some excellent free resources to consider include:
Dementia Advisor, which teaches effective coping skills and facilitates caregiver education through scenario-based training using a chat feature;
Dementia Assist App, which offers helpful guidance on understanding and responding to dementia-related behavioral expressions based on Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care®.
MindMate, which helps caregivers maintain health and wellness through brain games, physical workouts, and evidence-based nutrition advice.
Engagement
Social isolation can be a major cause of cognitive decline and adverse health events in older adults with dementia. With the restrictions and risks imposed by COVID-19, it is more important than ever to employ technology and resources that can help keep individuals with dementia meaningfully engaged.
Care.Coach is a tablet-based, virtual companion for individuals with ADRD. It allows individuals to receive around-the-clock emotional support and cognitive stimulation from highly trained remote caregivers operating through a digital care avatar. Pricing is contingent upon a consultation.
Comfort companions can also offer a calming and soothing influence. Joy For All offers companion stuffed pets, dogs and cats that make noises based on pressure sensors of different parts of their bodies. Ashton Drake produces life-like, touch-activated dolls that breathe and have heartbeats These companions can be conversation starters that help to ease transitions into new settings, such as nursing homes. They can also give individuals with late-stage dementia, who are largely reliant upon others, the sense that they are caring for someone or something else. Cost: $109.99 - $129.99 (Joy for All) / $99.99 - $229.99 (Ashton Drake)
SingFit is an app that helps caregivers integrate music therapy into their treatment plans. It enables an individual to sing and record their favorite songs—thereby improving well-being and stimulating cognitive function. Cost: $4.99/month.
Sociavi for Communication is a customized tablet that makes it simple for older adults to view family photos and videos and receive video visits. The streamlined tablet interface does not require navigation, and helps to ensure that people receive messages from their family. Cost: $270, plus $24/month.
Safety and Security
New advancements in technology have given caregivers and families a greater ability to monitor individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and ensure their safety from afar. We have compiled a brief list of these solutions below, ranging from appliance use monitors to medication reminder systems, location trackers and video security systems.
Appliance Use Monitors
Wallflower is a stove control appliance and app which can alert smartphones if the stove turns on or someone forgets to turn it off, which is the number one cause of home fires in the U.S. Cost: $149.99.
Medication Management
MediSafe App sends reminders to older adults to take their medications, and can alert caregivers and family members to missed doses. Other medication reminder options include Mango Health and CareZone. Cost: $4.99/month or $39.99/year (Medisafe App).
There are a number of medication dispensing devices that can easily be programmed to provide people with their appropriate medication doses multiple times throughout the day. These include Med-Ready, LiveFine, MedaCube and Med Minder, and range in price based on functionality.
Reminder Rosie looks like a traditional alarm clock, but it’s actually a voice-controlled reminder system that is designed to prolong independent living. It can help clients remember daily tasks, medications and appointments. Cost: $119.
Location Trackers
NurtureWatch is a smart device that relays the GPS location and heart rate of a patient to caregivers’ mobile devices. The watch also includes fall detection, two-way audio calling and an SOS red distress button. Cost: $299.
Orbit Glasses feature a built-in Bluetooth device which can track a wearer who wanders away. They can also produce an alert to help locate misplaced glasses. Cost: $49.95.
SafeWander helps to prevent wandering through the use of a discreet (but difficult to remove) sensor that can alert a caregiver’s mobile device when a patient exits their bed, and monitors their location. Cost: $79.
Video Calling and Security
Amazon Echo Show with Alexa gives older adults with dementia the intuitive ability to get information they need using voice control. Family members can also preload the show with family pictures and use the system for video calls. The platform is able to integrate with other smart home features like security camera and temperature controls. Cost: $49.99 to $249.99.
Arlo is a home security camera and system with the ability to send notifications to caregivers’ phones and alert 911 if necessary. The system enables home monitoring and provides an easy way for family and caregivers to check in on individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Cost: $299.99-$799.99 with monthly plans at $2.99, $9.99 and $14.99.
Google Nest Hub Max enables families to load the technology with family photographs and also “check in” on their family member at any time. Cost: $229.
Google Nest Detect is an alarm system and an app, which notifies users when doors or windows have been opened to ensure safety. Cost: $49.99.
Low-Tech Trends
Fidget blanket. $49 on Etsy.
High-tech devices and systems aren’t the only way to support the needs of older adults with dementia. In fact, there is a wide range of low-tech devices that are equally as important to providing them with a calm, safe and secure environment.
Simplified television remotes with fewer buttons can reduce the likelihood of hitting the wrong button and disabling the cable set up.
Fidget blankets and boards offer the opportunity for tactile stimulation.
Weighted blankets can simulate a sense of touch and security.
The RAZ Memory Cell Phone simplifies the cell phone experience, giving users one screen with up to six pictures of people to call. Cost: $309 plus $15-$25/month for services.
Additional Resources
Several senior care organizations have compiled lists of useful resources for combatting social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America published a list of recommended therapeutic activities, which includes reminiscence, tactile stimulation and brain exercises. Leading Age compiled a very comprehensive list of social isolation resources, which includes virtual museum tours, music/theater performances and workshops.
If you are trying to decide which new device or platform to choose, you can always visit www.techenhancedlife.com, a website that offers insights on new technology that can improve the quality of life for older adults. The site’s recommendations are made with input from their unique team of “longevity explorers,” a group of older adults, their families and caregivers from around the world.