Hope for Dementia: Is Technology the Solution?

Every care support worker will tell you that dementia is one of the most stressful conditions to manage. The patient’s ability to do basic things is greatly impaired, and because of this, communication becomes a burdensome chore. The people who care for dementia patients are heroes, and that includes you, who are taking care of your loved one.

Luckily, technology offers a way out of some of these stressful situations. Several gizmos and software have been developed to help dementia patients and their carers work around stuff and communicate better.

By enabling the patient to stay in their homes and move about freely with little to no hindrance, these technologies will not only aid people with dementia but it will also transform their lives.

From smart home appliances to disruptive technologies, the goal essentially is to make life easy for those with dementia.

This guide will show you, the carer, or the person with early-onset dementia looking for ways to stay ahead of the curve that’s coming your way, how to use technology to your advantage in this journey.

What is Dementia?

When we talk about dementia, there are often two major things that revolve around our minds, and these are memory loss and age. While this may be true, considering that most people suffer from memory loss as they age, losing memory doesn’t always translate to dementia. Many times the severity depends on other risk factors such as family history, blood pressure, diabetes, alcohol and certain nutritional deficiencies.

Given the stated factors, dementia in reality is more than just memory loss. 

The World Health Organisation defines dementia as a “syndrome that reduces the natural ability of a person to process thought beyond normal, from the consequences of ageing.”

Facts about dementia

• The WHO says that 47 million people all over the world are dealing with dementia as you read this. They also say that, by 2030, this number could hit 75 million, and worse, over 200 million by 2050.
• Dementia can alter a person’s memory, communication, ability to perform daily activities, behaviour and thinking.
• Dementia can affect anyone of any age; however, it is most common among older people who are aged 65 years and above. 
• Another phase of dementia is that the younger onset of dementia affects a person who is under 65 years of age. 
• Children aren’t exempt, as they can also experience dementia resulting from progressive brain damage caused by over 100 rare genetic disorders.

Types of dementia

There are various types of dementia, and these include; 

• Vascular dementia
• Alzheimer's disease
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Dementia with Lewy bodies
• Dementia linked to alcohol, dementia of younger onset, and 
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Dementia has no cure. Not yet, anyway. But if you know where to look or have a good doctor advising your care efforts, you can use a variety of techniques that can help you manage it properly.

Some of these methods can even help the doctor spot things they might miss in the diagnosis, and also properly diagnose the stage that the patient is in for accurate care planning.

Dr. Janice Ranson, a research fellow at the University of Exeter, UK, suggested that the application of machine learning in memory clinics could help to ensure more accurate diagnoses and also reduce the unnecessary challenges caused by wrong diagnoses.

Machine learning technology has the potential to scan sensitive and structural features within the brain and detect Alzheimer’s. The technology can even detect the early stage of the disease, which was very difficult before the emergence of advanced technologies. 

The current methods that doctors use to detect and diagnose patients are very lengthy and aren’t all that precise. They can also be time-consuming. 

We would explore the latest advanced technologies for dementia care and how they are improving the quality of life for patients and also reducing the workload for caregivers.

Types of Technologies for Dementia Care

Telecare

Telecare is a technology-based healthcare service which uses devices such as health and fitness apps, digital medical reminders apps, early warning and detection tools and exercise tracking tools for monitoring the vital organs of patients. Telecare’s package utilises sensors to provide the necessary support for people with dementia.

Telecare senses and combats danger by reacting spontaneously to uncommon events and raising an alarm. There are also preventive functions embedded in telecare that spot early stages in a user’s wellbeing.

Please note that telecare is different from telemedicine or telehealth, since telecare is the concept of allowing individuals to enjoy their independence in their own homes by offering person-centered technologies to assist.

Occupational therapy and assistive technology

Occupational therapy employs daily living activities like rest and sleep, work, play and leisure as a therapeutic tool for enhancing participation in healthy occupations to promote health and the overall well-being.

It is interesting to note that occupational therapy uses assistive technologies to modify environments and promote access to facilitate independence for a dementia patient to cope and strive. For instance, voice-activated smart home technologies allow a dementia patient to control devices such as light switches, thermostat and music from their location.

Wheelchairs

Wheelchairs aren’t new to us as it has long existed, but this time there are electrically propelled wheelchairs that include a seating system which is designed to be a substitute for the normal mobility that most people have. Wheelchairs and other mobility-enhancing devices or machines allow people to perform mobility-related activities with ease. The devices come in a number of variations where the occupant uses electrical controls to control seating posture through a joystick and head switches. While difficulty in walking may be a sign of dementia, recent technologies in wheelchairs now allow users to climb stairs and go off-road with them.

Treadmills

People with dementia sometimes experience balance and walking problems that lead to falls. Similar to the wheelchair's function in aiding mobility for users, treadmills are also useful for enhancing walking ability for people with dementia. Treadmill walking has demonstrated improvements in balance and walking as well as fall risk in users. 

Body Weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT), for instance, is used to enhance the walking ability of people diagnosed with dementia. The machine is therapist-assisted and is mostly used in a clinical setting, although it is limited by the personnel and labour requirements placed on physical therapists. The BWSTT device makes the work of a physical therapist easier by providing task-specific practice of walking for people.

Hearing aids

Hearing is a sign that is common among people diagnosed with dementia. While this might be a challenge, there is a high degree of hope with healing aids.

An electro-acoustic device called a hearing aid is made to amplify sound for the wearer in order to improve speech comprehension and address hearing impairment as determined by audiometry. This type of assistive technology will help you to participate fully in communities without any stigmatisation and allow you to hear clearly. Hearing aids will amplify any sound through a microphone and an amplifier. There are a series of hearing aids available, and these include: digital, in-the-ear, behind-the-ear and on-the-body aids.

Memory aids

Memory aids help you to learn and remember certain information. Generally, most memory aids are useful for cognitive impairments such as reading, writing or organisational difficulties. For instance, a smartpen records handwritten notes by creating both a digital copy and an audio recording of text, and this is possible by simply tapping certain parts of the notes, and then the pen saves it and reads it back to you. From there, you can download your notes onto a computer for increased accessibility. Digital voice recorders are another interesting memory aid device that you can use to record real-time information for easy recall.

How can these technologies help?

There are many different technologies that can help navigate everyday life. Some of these technologies are designed to help with problems related to dementia, and it is often useful for caregivers, too. These technologies are mostly apps for smartphones, computers or tablet devices, while some are installed on walls like cameras, doors, etc.

Many people with dementia find it easy to adapt to using technologies when introduced to them as early as possible.

Here’s how these technologies can help you:

Facilitating independence

Home automation for the elderly, better known as assistive domotics, focuses on making it possible for the elderly and disabled people to live independently. Home automation is becoming a viable option lately for the elderly and disabled who would prefer to stay in their own homes rather than move to a healthcare facility.

This genre of technology uses the same equipment and home automation for entertainment, energy conservation and security, but this time, it is tailored towards elderly users. For instance, motion sensors and audio messages that have already been recorded are used in automated prompts and reminders.

Popular examples of these include the voice-activated assistants like Alexa or Google Home. These tech can help with medication reminders and many other things to help with dementia care. They can also control the lighting in the home, but if you don’t want that, there are smart lighting options you can consider.

An understated benefit of these types of tech is how caregivers can be a mile away and monitor their loved one or patient through them. This way, the patient can live independently, but still under the right amount of surveillance.

Timing, Scheduling and Reminding

Clocks and calendars simply remind us of the time and day. Automated calendars and clocks show whether it is morning or evening, and this is very useful to distinguish when it is light or dark. There are also talking clocks and calendar apps that you can install to your smartphone or tablet devices. These can be set to meet your specific needs, such as choosing when you want the alarm to ring or notify you about an event.

Help with medication

There are so many technical aids that are now available that can help you take your medication at the right time, and these aids include: Simple pill boxes with separate compartments for days of the week and times of the day. Another is automated pill dispensers, which are pre-filled and locked and notify you through an alarm when to use your pill and the correct pills to take.

Some devices’ alarms won’t go off until the pills are removed or have been taken! This is definitely a surefire way to get your attention.

Technologies have now made some devices act as informants that alert your friends or family if you don’t take your medication. Although it is important to ask the pharmacist about the right medication aids to use and what would work best for you.

Practical Advice

While there are memory loss and difficulties in carrying out your daily activities as a result of dementia, new technology is transforming dementia care by providing emotional support and reducing the pain related to the ailment.

By ensuring that patients are able to maintain and manage their daily lives and that caregivers pay proper attention to the patient's health, technologies are now being developed to ease this medical condition.

We’ve seen how this is possible from smart home-enabled AI-powered assistants to improved tools for safety, communication and overall well-being. As innovation gets on the rise, the future of dementia care looks brighter and offers a ray of hope for patients and their families. The following are some practical advice that will help you as well as your caregiver manage at this time:

1. Technological aids for dementia shouldn’t be abused. Ensure to follow the doctor’s recommendations on the appropriate technology to use and why.
2. Simple daily actions like dressing and bathing will eventually require extra assistance. It may be upsetting, but please give yourself some time; you will be fine. Try to keep a routine in bathing, dressing and even eating and with this, you will adapt to it.
3. Caregivers should help plan activities that the care recipients enjoy and try to repeat them often.
4. Buy loose-fitting and comfortable clothing with elastic waistbands or zips instead of tight-fitting clothes.
5. Serve meals in a familiar and well-known place, and caregivers should give the care recipients enough time to eat.
6. Add music to exercise sessions or activities as this will soothe the nerves, motivate and calm the soul.
7. Caregivers should please clear away unused items and remove electrical cords, rugs or other items that cause a trip or a fall.
8. Don't feel isolated: Join a support group online or in person. Meeting with other caregivers or patients will give one a chance to share ideas and even share personal stories, and this can help keep anyone free from feeling isolated. Support Network comes highly recommended as a top choice support group to help through this difficult moment for any dementia patient.

Conclusion

It’s not that big of a deal to set all of these up. They come with manuals. But at Support Network, we understand how overwhelming it can be when you realise that you have to set these up for your loved one who is living with dementia.

There is a possibility of you going overboard and stripping away their independence with the tech you choose to set up. This is why we’re here to walk you through every step, from acquisition to installation.

Never forget, we’re always cheering you on!