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Caring for people with dementia will be one of the major challenges of the 21st century.
Advancing technology can offer ways to support and enhance personal care for people
with dementia, providing that systems are sensibly designed with the needs of potential
users always taken into account.
CIRCA Connect is a multidisciplinary team who are interested in developing
and promoting computer-based technologies to support people living with dementia.
The team, from the Universities of Dundee, St Andrews, Sheffield and Toronto,
and from the health technology sector, have been working together for more than 15 years.
They bring together expertise in computer science, design, psychology, social work,
and business.
The team created CIRCA, the first digital reminiscence support tool that allowed people
with dementia to communicate again with carers and relatives. They also created the LIM
(Living in the Moment) Games, touch screen activities specifically designed to be usable
and enjoyable for people with dementia.
CIRCA and the LIM Games were provided to care homes, day care centres, and hospitals
throughout the UK. They are not now being marketed, but they were important in inspiring
a range of similar computer-based systems. The team continue to work on helping to
develop innovative ways in which technology can play a role in improving the lives of
people with dementia and their carers.
For more information, contact Norman Alm at nalm@computing.dundee.ac.uk
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