There are currently 700,000 people with dementia in the UK - and short-term memory loss is one of its key symptoms.

Although most forms of dementia cannot be cured, assistive technology can help the sufferer compensate for memory loss, allowing them to live independently for longer by retaining their sense of identity and slowing the progress of the illness.

We decided to develop a software application in the form of a virtual scrapbook, a memory trigger that would address the serious issues of communicating and coping with dementia – helping those who live with it to increase confidence, maintain relationships and improve interaction in social situations.

The design team gained an understanding of various users’ needs and benefited from:

• Meeting with care workers at a Sanctuary Care residential care home
  
  
• A home visit organised by the Alzheimer’s Society
  
  
• Discussing accessibility issues at a Helen Hamlyn Centre user forum www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/kt/challenge/DBAC/index.html

All of which helped to develop the direction of the project and shape the features and functionality of the solution.

The Mind Book software application is easily accessible, user friendly and fully adaptable to the user’s needs.

The main features of Mind Book are the Life Book, the Games area and the Diary section.
The Life Book enables users to store and retrieve images, words, music, and connect these items to a specific date relating to their own life history.

The Games area features cognitive, mathematical, word tests and puzzles and the Diary section keeps track of appointments and events, continually updating the user’s ‘home page’ with reminders of birthdays, anniversaries etc.

Mind Book’s suite of tools and features offers a truly inclusive package that can be used by anyone and not just those suffering with memory loss or dementia.

For more information about Mind Book, please contact us on ideas@adarecreative.com or visit us at www.adarecreative.com for more.