The conversations of life

Interactive dementia app to give loved ones ‘a better visit’

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Dementia Australia have developed a new app that helps family and friends connect and communicate with their loved ones with dementia.

‘A Better Visit’ features a range of two-player games designed to encourage easier social interactions between those with dementia and their carers, and cut through some of the stigma surrounding the disease.

Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe says that families often admit to her that they don’t know how to communicate with their loved one with dementia, making them more likely to “withdraw” and perhaps avoid including that person in social activities.

The app was created in collaboration with Lifeview Residential Care and Swinburne University of Technology’s Future Self and Design Living Lab, and all elements were designed based on “observing and listening to people living with dementia.”

A Better Visit is available for iPad only and is free on the App Store here.

Pictured: ‘A Better Visit’ game – screenshot from iPad.

With a background in nursing, Annie has spent over 20 years working in the health industry, including the coordination of medical support for international TV productions and major stadium events, plus education campaigns with a number of national health organisations. In recent years, she has also taken time out of the workforce to be a full-time carer, giving her first-hand experience of the challenges and rewards of this role.


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