Dementia Statistics indicates 1 in 3 people born in the UK will develop dementia in their lifetime. At the moment, about 850,000 people are living with dementia. That figure is expected to increase to over one million by 2025 and double by 2050.
Caring for dementia patients calls for a simplified environment and simple activities that the patient can easily follow and solve. Technology and innovation have made this easier. There are applications designed for dementia patients that aim to solve most of the problems they face or at least make things easier for them.
Here are five great apps you should consider if you’re caring for someone with dementia:
MindMate
MindMate is one of the best dementia apps on the market. Not because it’s free but because it’s more than an app. It’s more like a friend.
The app helps to improve focus through various activities like problem-solving and memory and attention activities. The patient gets to work at their speed through the eight interactive games on the application.
The app provides fun learning materials that are in-sync with current medical trends for dementia patients. The app keeps track of the user’s progress, allowing you to monitor your improvement regularly.
Lumosity
Lumosity also helps to improve the brain’s performance through a combination of over 25 cognitive games. The app’s purpose is to exercise the brain by creating activities that challenge the memory and attention of the user.
Although it is not a free app, it’s the most commonly used, with over 70 million downloads so far. Experts believe that using brain-training apps like Lumosity can boost long-term and short-term memory, increase attention span and logical skills.
MyReef 3D Aquarium
MyReef 3D Aquarium provides the user with hours of escape to a cool, fun, and calm place where they can play with the fish and indulge in various activities like stocking the aquarium, feeding and watching the 14 different types of fish and listening to some soothing music.
You can tap on the glass to see how the fish react or try and annoy them for amusement. There’s no doubt the game capitalises on the beauty of the reef aquarium and allows dementia patients to take in the same beauty in the comfort of their homes.
Another alternative to MyReef 3D Aquarium is Flower Garden. Although this one takes a different approach, the goal is the same – to allow dementia patients to interact with parts of their lives that they loved doing but are not able to anymore.
The app is designed for garden lovers. Using the app, you can grow gardens again from the comfort of your home. The app has done an excellent job of incorporating the entire gardening process, from planting virtual seeds to watering and maintaining them until full harvest. The app is perfect for patients looking for a sense of purpose but can’t do something physical.
Let’s Create! Pottery
Creative and engaging activities go a long way in boosting cognitive and emotional health. Apps like Let’s Create! Pottery is designed for this particular purpose. With the app, the user can create digital ceramic items.
The app is surprisingly interactive, allowing the users to choose from various colours, accents and materials as they build vases and pots. By dragging your finger across the screen, you smooth the sides of your creation.
Let’s Create! Pottery is to lovers of pottery what Flower Garden is to lovers of gardening. These apps not only provide hours of fun but a sense of purpose where the user can create something while maintaining that creative spark.
Alzheimer’s Society’s Talking Point Forum
The Alzheimer’s Society’s Talking Point Forum app is a product of the Alzheimer’s Society UK. The app isn’t fun or creative, but it isn’t any less important. It’s actually one of the most essential apps for patients suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer’s.
It provides users and caregivers with an online forum for support and discussion. The application is not only for dementia patients but for anyone affected by dementia directly or indirectly. With this app, you have a chance to read the experiences of other patients and caregivers, ask for advice, share your own experience, and, most importantly, build a support network.
Conclusion
Apps are an excellent resource for both dementia patients and their caregivers. They provide invaluable information and resources and can keep the patient occupied for hours giving the caregiver some much-needed rest.
The only challenge is in choosing apps that are not only fun but also beneficial to the patients. These five are a great starting point.