In the United States, dementia is increasing rapidly among seniors and near-seniors. A hallmark of cognitive decline is a long pre-clinical phase followed by an actual medical diagnosis that progresses from early to middle and late-stage dementia. Poor memory, agitation, confusion, and understandable fear of the future are some of the first characteristics a senior may experience as cognitive decline takes hold. It is a frightening diagnosis for anyone’s future well-being.
Simple Tools to Improve Quality of Life
When symptoms begin to show, there are some relatively simple technologies available that will enhance the senior’s at-home safety and provide a level of comfort as they begin their first steps in what can be a multi-year journey of cognitive decline. These technology tools can reduce feelings of overwhelm for caregivers and their loved ones who are living with the disease. While some of the devices may seem quite simple to those without dementia, they can improve the quality of life for all involved.
Clock for People with Dementia
People living with dementia often confuse day and night and can become distraught as they argue with a caregiver about time. A specially designed clock for those with dementia can alleviate confusion and allow a caregiver to maintain routine behaviors. Some of these clocks don’t give the actual time but rather a simple display design identifying morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Other clocks will display the date, time of day, and day of the week on either a 12 or 24-hour display which can be particularly helpful to a veteran who lived their life on military time. The clock also has a multilingual feature and can be set in eight different languages.
Google has a screensaver clock app that is visible at all times, displaying the day of the week and morning, afternoon, and night. Many clock app designs allow for thousands of options allowing intensive customization. Finally, combination clocks with large magnifying aids and numbers offer both digital and analog, the day of the week, and more – all in oversized text.
Phone and Video Devices for People with Dementia
Adaptive phones and video chat devices that are preprogrammed with frequently dialed numbers on large buttons or with picture identification allow a dementia patient to easily stay connected to loved ones. Staying in touch with friends and family is essential to the well-being of seniors experiencing cognitive decline. Often, a person living with dementia will forget what a person said or did, but they seem to be able to remember how it made them feel. The senior might hang up the phone after a FaceTime or Skype and not remember who they just spoke to but still feel better for it.
Warning and Monitoring Devices
If the senior lives alone, electrical appliance monitoring alerts a caregiver if an appliance has not turned on or off. This tool plugs into a power strip or wall outlet. It can provide additional safety for a senior at home alone if a stove is left on and let a caregiver know if the senior remembers to eat or cook for themselves.
People with dementia could wander and even become lost. Wearable GPS location and tracking devices have many options that can alert a caregiver about what room in the home a loved one is occupying. If they walk outside to retrieve their mail and forget to come back in, a caregiver can be alerted remotely and perform a location and wellness check. If the senior doesn’t get out of bed and move to the kitchen for breakfast or a recliner to watch television, a caregiver will be alerted. Anything that is outside of the expected routine of the senior with dementia can become an alert.
Companion Robots
Companion care robots have several positive benefits in the homes of people with dementia. Robots can decrease rates of neglect or abuse by assisting an overwhelmed human caregiver. When a caregiver’s workload is reduced through the use of robots, they have more time to focus on human interaction, typically with a better attitude. Caregivers can then become better listeners and observers. They have more time to identify and address key patient issues. In the absence of a human caregiver, a chatbot, similar to a smart home assistant, can bring conversation, daily reminders, read or play games, and answer questions for a person living with dementia. Companion care robots are a new standard of caregiving because of the multitude of tasks they can perform and alerts they can provide.
Smart Home Devices
Smart home environmental controls can adjust thermostats and turn lights on and off, providing a safer and more comfortable living space. They can also send alerts via smartphones in the event of an unforeseen event or change in patterned patient behavior. Smart homes coupled with in-home cameras are a great way to ensure the safety of a person with dementia. Cameras that allow two-way conversation as well as provide a visual projection of medication sites, relaxation areas, and more allow a remote caregiver to monitor their loved one’s movement. Alerts are sent if no motion has been detected for a set time.
Medication Management and Reminders
Medication management and reminder messages provide additional support for a person living with dementia at home. Whether a high-tech pill dispenser or pillbox marked with days of the week, a vibrating alarm on a watch, or a scheduled audible reminder from a smart assistant or chatbot, each can help keep a patient taking the correct dosage of medication at the proper time. Medication management through technology tools helps avoid a potentially catastrophic situation of incorrect or no dosage.
These technology tools are useful to all seniors living at home, especially those suffering from cognitive decline. Establishing repeatable, patterned behavior through these tools creates a structure that alleviates some of the more frustrating aspects of losing memory. Caregivers can focus on the more human-oriented tasks, and loved ones from far away can maintain a connection while monitoring the well-being of their family member. As a family, and even without a dementia diagnosis, these tech tools are a smart idea for any senior living at home alone.
We hope you have found this information useful. If you have questions or would like to discuss your particular situation, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our elder law attorneys are here to support the needs of seniors with dementia, their caregivers, and families. For assistance, please contact our Natchez office at (601) 445-5011.
