Page 10 - March 2018

iPad used by person with dementia. The im-
(Continued from page 1)
Ed’s goals were simple: find a way to engage
Diane in activities so that they could enjoy their
time together, stimulate her mind, elicit a re- with Dementia and expect that they will just use
sponse from her, get her to smile, laugh, bring
her out of her “Dementia shell” and to “create
moments of joy”1.
Ed’s question: “how could I use technology to
help her?”
As a “computer person”, Ed turned to his desk-
top to help his wife in the early stages of her
disease, primarily using Skype while he was at
work so that he could keep in contact with Di-
ane during the day. As the disease progressed,
the desktop approach just didn’t work, as Di-
ane, who did use a computer in her work but
was not a “computer person”, did not have in-
terest in computers.
Ed previously had nothing to do with an iPad
and had not considered that technology as a
device that might help his wife, until a client
brought an iPad to him, asking for help using it.
Once Ed realized its ease of use (just touch the
screen and make things happen), he started to
research the iPad’s use with people suffering
from Dementia. Through Google he found sites
(care facilities) that were using the iPad with
people afflicted with Dementia. These care fa-
cilities were having good and rewarding experi-
ences with Dementia patients by using certain
apps. Interestingly, all the sites were in the UK;
nothing was found in the US. From his re-
search, he found five or six apps that had been
helpful for others with conditions similar to Di- be stressful and very sad for the family, use of
ane’s. From these starting apps, he built a
“home page” on the iPad.
10
portant detail, Ed discovered, was that the apps
needed to be of interest to Diane; this was cru-
cial. You can’t hand an iPad to an individual
it. You need to identify apps that have interest
from past experiences or activities that may
stimulate the individual. Apps such as flower
garden, music, photos, old TV shows, drawing
apps, colors, pottery, baking cupcakes, travel
sites, etc. Apps that had a connection with Di-
ane’s life prior to the onset of Dementia were
essential.
Ed used the iPad himself as Diane watched,
generating interest in her. She would then, over
time, start to engage with the iPad herself. This
produced a connection that would bring Diane
out of her “Dementia shell,” stimulating laughter,
smiles and JOY!1
Further, Ed was able to use the photo app to
take pictures, which Diane with Ed’s help could
send to her grandchildren and other relatives,
enabling a means of back and forth communi-
cation with others at a distance. Also, Skype
was useful in Diane’s communication—although
she could not speak she was positively stimulat-
ed by the voices of those she remembered.
Other family members became engaged with
Diane through interaction with the iPad, particu-
larly her grandchildren.
Ed describes a process that stimulates not only
the person with Dementia but also the caregiver
and family who are interacting with that person.
As the visiting process in situations like this can
the iPad provides a positive point of contact that
engages not only the patient but also the care-
giver and family. This interaction results in a
positive experience, transforming what could
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