Seniors, Dementia and Smartphones: How Some Apps Can Help with Dementia Patients
At Daybreak Adult Care Services, we often get asked how to help seniors with dementia. There are many activities for seniors with dementia, but smartphones provide lots of opportunities to entertain and add to the quality of life for seniors with dementia. Here are some apps we recommend:
FlowerGarden: People suffering from dementia might miss some parts of their lives in which they no longer can participate. People who love gardening will love this app. It allows them to participate in virtual gardening, from planting seeds to harvesting. The ability to replicate an activity one loves is essential in keeping a person with dementia busy.
MindMate: This app is more of a friend than a tool. It can help a loved one stay focused on things like memory, paying attention, working with their speed and problem-solving. Mindmate ideally provides entertainment through various games that are fun and that provide learning materials.
Lumosity Mobile: This is a smartphone application with more than 25 cognitive games that are all aimed at giving the brain a workout. The games challenge the memory and attention of the individual in their common neuropsychological and cognitive tasks. The app is not free, but it’s popular and will be useful to seniors with dementia.
Alzheimer’s Society’s Talking Point Forum: The app was released by the Alzheimer’s Society in the United Kingdom. It’s an online discussion and support forum designed for anyone affected by dementia.
It’s Done: This is an app that simply provides a checklist of the important daily tasks like taking medication, locking doors, feeding pets, turning off the cooker, etc. According to the application’s developers, It’s Done! is ideal for individuals with short term memory loss.
A Walk Through Dementia: This app can be used in a virtual reality experience to help caretakers understand what it’s like to live with dementia. Caretakers literally walk through a virtual world as if they’re suffering the symptoms of dementia to give them an empathetic base from which to understand their loved one.
Seniors with dementia need repetitive activities that entertain them, keep them active and give them reminders to complete daily activities. For more information on how to help seniors with dementia, including in-home care, contact Daybreak Adult Care Services today.
