Empathy-Building App Scoops Apple Prize: The Dresden Student's Innovation for Dementia Sufferers
Dresden student emerges victorious in Apple coding contest
In the realm of programming competitions, a Dresden student has caught Apple's attention with an app that sheds light on the challenges faced by dementia patients. Hendrik Schulke, the mastermind behind the app named "Dementi", has crafted a memory game that mimics the bewildering experience of people with dementia.
His app serves up a memory game with 16 images, where every three moves rearrange the images, creating confusion and chaos - much like the reality that dementia patients grapple with daily. Schulke, inspired by his grandmother's struggle, aims to give users an insight into the challenges that otherwise seem incomprehensible.
Schulke reveals that the emotional impact of this game is profound. Users often feel the disorientation and frustration that dementia patients experience during their everyday tasks. "You feel that you're the problem," Schulke explains, "but it only works once."
As the app educates users about dementia, Schulke envisions that it might help children understand their relatives' daily struggles better. Built during a semester abroad in Vietnam, this innovative platform has earned Apple CEO Tim Cook's praise at the WWDC developer conference. Cook characterized the app as facilitating better understanding and empathy among people.
Navigating the World with Dementia
In reality, dementia poses a myriad of challenges for people beyond just remembering task sequences. Here are some crucial areas of difficulty that dementia patients face:
Daily Challenges
- Communication: Dementia patients may struggle to articulate their thoughts, leading to feelings of frustration, anxiety, or depression.
- Daily Living Activities: Simple tasks like managing finances, cooking meals, or maintaining personal hygiene can become increasingly difficult with dementia progression, requiring assistance.
- Mobility and Safety: Dementia can diminish spatial awareness and judgment, making activities like moving safely or navigating stairs more complex, thereby increasing the risk of injuries.
Social and Emotional Struggles
- Social Isolation: As communication difficulties prevail, individuals with dementia might withdraw socially, feeling isolated or embarrassed.
- Mood Swings: Anxiety, irritability, and unpredictable mood swings are common emotional challenges for people with dementia.
- Loss of Confidence: As dementia affects cognitive and communication abilities, individuals may lose confidence in their capabilities.
Coping Strategies
- Engaging Activities: Simple, interactive tasks like folding towels, listening to music, or creating crafts can provide a sense of purpose and satisfaction.
- Emotional Support: Employing the "three golden rules" of dementia care – avoiding arguments, reason, and confrontation – can help navigate interactions and validate emotions.
- Physical Activity: Encouragement of light walks or gardening can help preserve physical health and cognitive function.
Schulke's game is merely a glimpse into the complicated world of dementia, but it sheds light on an essential aspect of empathy: understanding someone else's experience. This app offers a unique perspective, encouraging users to walk a mile in the shoes of dementia patients, one challenging move at a time.
Sources: ntv.de, chr/dpa, [1][2][3][4][5]
- Dementia
- Alzheimer
- Apple
- WWDC
[1] Alzheimer's Society, Communication and dementia (2021) : https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/support-for-you/dementia-support-for-carers/communicating-in-dementia
[2] Harvard Health Publishing, Exercise and cognitive function (2020) : https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercise-and-cognitive-function
[3] National Institute on Aging, Communication and Dementia (2021) : https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/communicating-someone-dementia
[4] Alzheimer's Disease International, Dementia-capable communities (2017) : https://www.alzint.org/resources/dementia-capable-communities/
[5] Mayo Clinic, Dementia (2021) : https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dementia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373861
- The Commission has also been involved in the preparation of a report focusing on the challenges faced by dementia patients, including communication, daily living activities, mobility and safety, social isolation, mood swings, loss of confidence, and coping strategies.
- Science and technology can play a critical role in addressing these challenges, as demonstrated by Hendrik Schulke's app "Dementi", which offers a memory game designed to provide users with an empathetic understanding of the disorientation and frustration faced by dementia patients.
- In addition to memory games, other forms of science-backed strategies for dementia patients include engaging activities, emotional support, and physical exercise, all of which can help preserve physical health, cognitive function, and emotional well-being.
- Emerging technologies, such as smartphones and gadgets, may further revolutionize the way we approach dementia care, offering innovative solutions for communication, daily living activities, and mental health support.
- Nutrition and health-and-wellness are important factors in maintaining optimal brain health, especially as one ages. Ensuring proper nutrition and fitness-and-exercise habits can contribute to delayed onset of dementia and an improved quality of life for those affected by the condition.
