Those with Dementia have Help to Stay in Their Own Homes Longer

This article, in Danish, was published March 28, 2011, and explains how ISISEMD system is working to help those with dementia and similar cognitive impairments stay safely in their own homes.

Dementia citizens get help to stay longer in their own homes, and a project running in Frederikshavn (Denmark) helps them. The project is currently testing the Assistive Technology equipment with 10 people in Denmark with mild dementia. The aim of the system is to make living with dementia easier and safer for both themselves and their families.
 

Lifeline for relatives
The heart of the system is a screen that stands in the dementia home. It looks like a regular, flat computer screen, but it is a touchscreen and serves as the lifeline for those with dementia to their relatives. At the touch of the screen, the relatives are notified that the person with dementia needs help. But the screen also helps to bring together a number of technological aids. 

Combining existing solutions into one system
There are several existing technologies that can be used to help people with cognitive impairments to maintain their independence and ISISEMD aims to combine several of these into one easy to use system. Using sensors in the kitchen, the system can, for example, tell the person with dementia if they have forgotten to turn off the stove, close the refrigerator door or shut off the water if these things have been left unattended for a certain period of time. If the person with dementia becomes disoriented, lost or needs help when they are outside the home, they can press a button on the GPS in their pocket. This way, the relatives can locate exactly where they are and can even call the device as if it were a mobile phone. "We gather some existing Assistive Technologies into one system. Together, they provide greater security and Quality of Life," says Anne Abildgard, development manager for the elderly in Frederikshavn. The project runs in collaboration with Aalborg University and the money comes from EU funds and partly from Frederikshavn.

 Technology helps those with Dementia stay safer and in their own homes