Tech for early stages of dementia?
November 21, 2024 6:34 AM
What technology smartwatches, apps, smart home systems, tools or similar could I set up to help keep my mum safe and comfortable in the early stages of dementia?
Difficulty level: She is also visually impaired.
More details below.
My sweet mother, who maintained an iron mind her whole life, is now showing clear signs of dementia. She is increasingly forgetful and frequently repeats questions and comments. While she has adopted some basic strategies to manage her memory (such as using a paper calendar and a shopping list) I would love to set up technology that could help make her life easier and safer.
Here’s her current setup: she uses an older MacBook Air and an iPhone 8. She struggles with hardware upgrades, so I’d prefer not to replace these devices if possible. She also enjoyed using a Fitbit (which recently broke) to track her steps and check the time at night.
Here are my questions:
1. Is replacing her Fitbit with another one the best option, or would a different system, such as an Apple Watch, offer additional benefits?
2. Could a smart home setup make sense for her? If so, which system would you recommend? (Note: I don’t live nearby, so troubleshooting would need to be minimal.)
3. Are there specific apps that might help her navigate daily life more easily or safely?
4. Are there other practical tools, considerations, or online communities that you’d recommend?
I will be spending several weeks with her over Christmas so we could practice using new tech together.
If it’s relevant, she lives in a European country.
My sweet mother, who maintained an iron mind her whole life, is now showing clear signs of dementia. She is increasingly forgetful and frequently repeats questions and comments. While she has adopted some basic strategies to manage her memory (such as using a paper calendar and a shopping list) I would love to set up technology that could help make her life easier and safer.
Here’s her current setup: she uses an older MacBook Air and an iPhone 8. She struggles with hardware upgrades, so I’d prefer not to replace these devices if possible. She also enjoyed using a Fitbit (which recently broke) to track her steps and check the time at night.
Here are my questions:
1. Is replacing her Fitbit with another one the best option, or would a different system, such as an Apple Watch, offer additional benefits?
2. Could a smart home setup make sense for her? If so, which system would you recommend? (Note: I don’t live nearby, so troubleshooting would need to be minimal.)
3. Are there specific apps that might help her navigate daily life more easily or safely?
4. Are there other practical tools, considerations, or online communities that you’d recommend?
I will be spending several weeks with her over Christmas so we could practice using new tech together.
If it’s relevant, she lives in a European country.
You may want to in fact speed up the upgrade process - that iPhone is extremely old and won't be supported much longer. It might be helpful to get her upgraded while she's still able to learn new technology at all, instead of a few years down the line when her capabilities will have probably slipped further. You'll also get access to a lot of their newer accessibility features which may be increasingly important in the coming years. In addition, facial ID may be a better option for her than remembering passwords.
1. One feature Fitbit (currently) lack is fall detection, which the Apple Watch does offer. You can also call emergency services directly from it, without the need for the phone to be in-hand.
2. None of the Smart Home setups are, in my opinion, suitable for a person who struggles with technology or memory. If anything, most of them offload from physical things into memory because now you have to remember the right commands for things instead of walking up to, say, blinds to operate them.
3. I'll leave this to others.
4. Starting with recent versions of the iPhone OS, Apple offers an "Assistive Access" mode which you can learn more about here. While intended for a broad range of disabilities, it's often informally called "senior mode." One major drawback is that it's highly limited in which apps it allows access to, but it's worth at least considering, if not immediately in the future.
posted by Tomorrowful at 6:54 AM on November 21
1. One feature Fitbit (currently) lack is fall detection, which the Apple Watch does offer. You can also call emergency services directly from it, without the need for the phone to be in-hand.
2. None of the Smart Home setups are, in my opinion, suitable for a person who struggles with technology or memory. If anything, most of them offload from physical things into memory because now you have to remember the right commands for things instead of walking up to, say, blinds to operate them.
3. I'll leave this to others.
4. Starting with recent versions of the iPhone OS, Apple offers an "Assistive Access" mode which you can learn more about here. While intended for a broad range of disabilities, it's often informally called "senior mode." One major drawback is that it's highly limited in which apps it allows access to, but it's worth at least considering, if not immediately in the future.
posted by Tomorrowful at 6:54 AM on November 21
Airtags and/or find my device setups that made noise (and that I or another family member could trigger remotely) were the best intervention for my previously very tech-savvy parent as their Alzheimer's progressed. They would lose their phone, but I could help them find it even from across the country.
Otherwise it was a process of gradually removing apps and connectivity and access as devices/software/systems became sources of frustration and alarm.
posted by minervous at 6:58 AM on November 21
Otherwise it was a process of gradually removing apps and connectivity and access as devices/software/systems became sources of frustration and alarm.
posted by minervous at 6:58 AM on November 21
Seconding that upgrading the devices now is a good idea. It will be a pain point this year, but will increase the odds that they'll be usable for longer.
posted by metasarah at 9:25 AM on November 21
posted by metasarah at 9:25 AM on November 21
The Apple Watch is more complicated than your average Fitbit, and has a shorter battery life. I was going to recommend an Apple Watch to my relative who is in the early stages of dementia but stopped because of those qualities.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:58 PM on November 21
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:58 PM on November 21
I have a Nest thermostat so I can check the house temp when I'm away, for peace of mind. Alexa has a drop in feature you might be able to use to listen for trouble. A home cam might be a good idea.
Falls are not necessarily dementia-related, but they're a real problem. Do the obvious stuff. Make sure there are grab bars in the bathroom, probably a stool in the shower, and a handheld sprayer. Have rugs,esp. throw rugs, assessed for tripping hazards. Make sure the hot water isn't too hot. Stair rail is important. I'm doing this stuff in my home, it makes life safer and more pleasant.
Now is the time to learn about resources. There is an Area Agency on Aging in every part of the US. She'll likely need more services sooner or later, so do the research now.
posted by theora55 at 11:15 PM on November 21
Falls are not necessarily dementia-related, but they're a real problem. Do the obvious stuff. Make sure there are grab bars in the bathroom, probably a stool in the shower, and a handheld sprayer. Have rugs,esp. throw rugs, assessed for tripping hazards. Make sure the hot water isn't too hot. Stair rail is important. I'm doing this stuff in my home, it makes life safer and more pleasant.
Now is the time to learn about resources. There is an Area Agency on Aging in every part of the US. She'll likely need more services sooner or later, so do the research now.
posted by theora55 at 11:15 PM on November 21
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We did have an Alexa for a while where he could say "Alexa, I'm up" and it would send an email to us "Hi, I'm up Love dad". Unfortunately, it stopped working, but I wonder if there is a similar device for Apple. Now he sends us an email every day- which are a lovely treat to receive
posted by Ftsqg at 6:49 AM on November 21