- Brain Training App
Game Show is a brain training computer game that has been shown to improve memory in people in the earliest stages of dementia. The Game Show app was developed by researchers from the University of Cambridge who found that patients that played the game over a period of 1 month had about 40 percent improvement in their thinking tests and memory scores.
Brain training might not be able to cure or even prevent memory diseases such as dementia, but according to University of Edinburgh’s Dr. Tara Spires-Jones, it can be a decent way to improve early memory symptoms of dementia. She also says that brain engaging activities such as learning or even some forms of cognitive training help to increase connections between brain cells. The increased number of connections provide what’s referred to as a cognitive reserve that makes the brain capable of withstanding the damage caused by diseases such as Alzheimer’s for longer than if the connections were fewer.
- Balance Improvement App
As people age, the risk of falling increases, with effects usually being great, both physically and emotionally. It can affect people’s confidence, making them feel highly vulnerable and may lead to them losing their independence and suffering extensive, physical injuries from which it can take a long time to recover.
The Nymbal app was developed in an attempt at reducing falls in the elderly. Residents at a West Yorkshire care home have been trying out the app that’s designed to measure, track, and improve balance. After just 4 weeks, the residents had a higher level of independence and were engaging more in activities. Nymbal is based on 35 years of clinical research and offers a range of balance tools for health providers, which includes 15-minute balance training interventions, digital balance evaluations, and fall risk assessments.
- App for Making Homes Dementia-Friendly
The Dementia Center at Stirling University has developed an app known as Iridis that’s designed to make homes more dementia-friendly. It provides advice on how to change the light, color, furniture, and even reducing noise. Assessing a 2-bedroom house takes 20 minutes. Users of the app are asked to take photos of their home and answer questions about it.
Iridis can offer recommendations on various adaptations, such as the changing of lighting and signposting of doors to improve the quality of life for dementia sufferers and prevent falls as well as hospital admissions. The app was designed in conjunction with Space Architects and is mainly used for care workers or family members of people living at home. However, it can still be adapted for care homes and hospitals.
- App for Reducing Isolation and Keeping People with Dementia Connected
The MindMate app helps people with dementia interact with their family and friends since users can play games with others, create photo books, and even connect via a video chat option. Patrick Renner, the co-founder says that the app is designed to improve dementia self-management as well as helping to engage people.
The MindMate platform comprises of 3 apps, one for a person with dementia, one for a family member of caregiver, and one for those living in residential care. It has 4 main sections, which include a tool section with a photo book option and the ability to set reminders, a section with brain training games, and a third connection options where users can video chat or send messages to others. The fourth and final section contains nutrition advice, music, and tips for exercising, collating all kinds of information in one app, which ensures that users don’t need to switch apps.
- App Showing Challenges that People with Dementia Face
A Walk Through Dementia is an innovative app that offers insight into what living with dementia is like. VISYON and Alzheimer’s Research UK created the app to provide users with a comprehensive insight into the condition. It uses a combination of 360-degree video and computer-generated insights to show how even the most mundane of tasks such as preparing a cup of tea can pose a challenge to a person living with the condition. It features 3 scenarios where users get to experience purchasing ingredients in a supermarket, taking them home and preparing a cup of tea for their family. The idea behind the app is that once caregivers, family, and friends understand dementia better, they will be more considerate to people living with dementia and will have more empathy.
There are many useful apps for seniors that can give you as a carer peace of mind and improve the seniors life.
