Alzheimer’s

Currently over 6 million Americas are living with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD). Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementiasaffect short term memory and functioning of an individual or “loved one” suffering from it. The loved one is rapidly forgetful, gets easily confused, slowly loses ability to do daily tasks, and has difficulty expressing or understanding what’s being said. The loved one is unable to organize, plan, and do the tasks.This process starts gradually and progresses so slowly over the years that it is unnoticed by family until the loved one is significantly impaired. This may happen suddenly after a stroke or head injury.

The loved one suffering from Alzheimer needs extra attention, care, and specialized communication to accommodate cognitive impairments. He or she may ask the same questions over and over or seek assurances from the family members repetitively. This eventually leads to increased stress on the family members, resulting in burnout, exhaustion, depression, and guilt. This family member (who is caring forthe loved one) also has children to take care of and spouse, and a job to do. This becomes an overwhelming situation!

Yet, we don’t have a special intervention for Alzheimer’s loved one, who is not able to operate any technology due to cognitive and functioning impairment(s). Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram are designed for cognitively intact individuals who can operate these technologies. Elderly individuals with ADRD are in a need of a specialized communication with others.

One potential major intervention would be to connect the individuals with ADRD to their family members, their familiar environment, and to their past. This needs to be automated and looped to accommodate changing cognitive impairments of these individuals over the period. Our solution, AlzhaTV, addresses these very needs of the individuals with ADRD. AlzhaTV allows individual with ADRD to connect to family members, friends, outside world and to their past without needing to use any technology. AlzhaTV allows communication among the individual with ADRD,their family members and caregivers.