A new tool in the fight against Alzheimer's

( people with Alzheimer's disease feel embarrassed )

PleaseHelpSupport Alzheimer's Research Today!
Your Alzheimer's donation will help billionslive without it. Donate online now

After struggling for years with his mother's Alzheimer's disease, an Ocala man has developed a cell phone application to help caregivers reach their charges from a computer keyboard.

Ted Lindsay's mother, Audrey, was diagnosed nearly nine years ago. It started with simply forgetting items. Now, "she has no short-term memory," he said. Dealing with her disease spurred the creation of MemoryMate, Lindsay said. "I've worked my whole live for money and I never had a chance to work on something that will help somebody," he said.

The service, which is subscription-based and for touchscreen Windows Mobile phones, launches in December. Audrey Lindsay tested prototypes and helped Ted Lindsay determine how the application would best help Alzheimer's patients. "If she can use it, anyone can," he said. Lindsay said the genius of MemoryMate is that it demystifies and simplifies complex smartphones.

MemoryMate creates to-do lists and provides 24-hour GPS location. From a computer at the Alzheimer's Association symposium Thursday, Lindsay was able to check where his mother was. "She was just outside at 10:59 this morning," he said, showing a small dot outside the Windsor nursing home. Lindsay began developing the concept nearly three years ago as the burden for caring for his mother grew. "All the friends she had, all the family members who loved her, they all started disappearing," he said.

From any computer, family members and caregivers can send text and picture messages to the cell phone of the Alzheimer's sufferer, Lindsay said. It helps family members feel more involved and reduces the feeling of isolation for Alzheimer's sufferers. The application also allows users to dial by simply touching a picture.

The biggest challenge was getting his mother to plug the phone in, Lindsay said. So he added a reminder that goes off around her bed time. MemoryMate users learn that "if you see a light, touch it," he said, to access a reminder. The to-do list functions as a "surrogate" memory for those who have none, Lindsay said. "It fits all different stages of Alzheimer's," he said.

People with Alzheimer's disease feel embarrassed and isolated from the world. Lindsay said. That's why he poured money and effort into producing the application. "These are intelligent people," he said. "They deserve some dignity." ...http://www.ocala.com

Food sector at the forefront of sustainability

Food and beverage manufacturers are driving sustainability in the supply chain, says an Oxfam specialist, but they face more risks in catering to demand for ethically-produced products than retailers. ...http://www.nutraingredients.com

Беларусь ТВ

Posted YVN