Along with our increasing population of adults over 65 is the growing occurrence of dementia. Dementia can be caused by various diseases or conditions and affects a person’s memory and other cognitive abilities to the point of interfering with their daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and one in three older adults dies from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
Though dementia most profoundly affects the individual suffering from it, it affects the lives of those closest to the sufferer, not to mention society as a whole. Over 11 million Americans provide billions of hours of unpaid care for people living with dementia. In 2024, Alzheimer’s disease as well as other causes of dementia will cost the United States about $360 billion, according to estimates.
No cure for dementia currently exists. However, ongoing research is exploring new ways to manage symptoms, slow progression, and improve the quality of life for those living with dementia. Medications created to slow the progress of dementia usually get more attention than nonmedical inventions. However, there are some attention-worthy nondrug treatments and other emerging technologies designed to support people living with dementia.
Here is a look at a few of the innovations in development today:
Remembering Through Meals
In an experimental program administered by University of California San Francisco’s Global Brain Health Institute, participants prepare and share meals connected to memorable experiences or periods in their lives. The premise of the program stems from studies showing that music can help people unlock memories. By preparing meaningful meals and sharing their connections to the meals, participants are able to connect with treasured memories.
Kodak’s Reminiscence Therapy Tool
Kodak has developed an artificial intelligence tool to help people with dementia visually reconstruct memories for which they don’t have photos. Through a website called Memory Shots, the user constructs an image of a memory based on descriptive information they enter. Memory Shots uses the descriptive information to create several potentially matching images in a style consistent with photos from the Kodak cameras that were available during that period.
Memory Shots is intended to help caregivers start a conversation with an individual who has dementia, such as a parent or patient. Based on reminiscence therapy, this AI tool uses images to trigger memories in people with neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia. This type of therapy has been shown to ease stress and anxiety.
Immersion Room Helps With Memory Connections
A new room at Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on Long Island, New York, gives residents an immersive experience to help them reconnect with their memories in a relaxed setting. The 13-by-13-foot room has a state-of-the-art projection system and visually stimulating sights, sounds, and scents.
The immersion room is in the center’s memory care unit and is used for residents who are still alert as well as residents who are experiencing more advanced cognitive decline. It allows the staff to offer residents a wide range of beneficial therapeutic experiences, such as health and wellness programs, cultural events, and concerts.
Innovative Technology for Seniors Living Alone
UC Davis Health researcher Alyssa Weakley has designed a task management tool to help older adults who are aging in place to keep track of important information and communicate with relatives and caregivers. The tool is called Interactive Care Platform, or I-Care, and has six main functions, including:
- A homepage that shows upcoming events, recent caregiver messages, and the current weather
- A calendar that can be modified by both the senior and their caregiver
- A to-do list
- A messaging feature that allows health care providers to exchange messages and conduct video calls with the senior
- A collaborative notes section that can be used to save notes concerning medical appointments and vacation plans
- A section for tracking activities that are beneficial for brain health, such as exercise and cognitive engagement
In addition to helping seniors manage everyday activities, I-Care helps reduce feelings of social isolation and loneliness. By allowing a caregiver to check on their loved one or patient remotely, I-Care helps reduce the stress caregivers often feel when they can’t always be with the older adult.
Another innovative development that Weakley is collaborating on with other researchers is a network of small sensors distributed throughout an elder’s home to monitor their daily routines. Any irregularities can be communicated to loved ones and caregivers. This can alert concerned parties to deteriorating mental faculties or notify them of a potential emergency.
Dementia-Care Navigator
In July 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched a test program to support individuals with dementia and their unpaid caregivers. The pilot, called the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, is voluntary and will run nationwide for eight years. GUIDE is meant to fill a need for comprehensive, coordinated care for those living with dementia as well as those who are providing unpaid care for them.
The program will match “care navigators” with individuals with dementia and their unpaid caregivers. The care navigator will be a resource for their charges and help them access GUIDE services and supports as well as non-GUIDE services, including clinical services and nonclinical services, such as transportation and meals, through community-based organizations.
One of the key motivators behind launching the GUIDE Model was to create a program that supported caregivers as they tried to navigate the Medicare system, support their loved one with dementia, and manage their own lives. Support comes in the form of education and guidance on best practices for caring for a loved one with dementia as well as respite services.
“Brain Gym” Pilot Program
Residents at Vi’s senior living community in La Jolla, California, can now take part in a pilot program designed to test and improve brain health and cognitive function.
Thirty-seven residents were selected to try a device that consists of a base, arm rails, and a large computer screen. The user stands on the base and answers questions on the screen by shifting their weight on the base instead of giving the answers verbally. The device adapts to the user’s response time and balance.
During the 12-week pilot program, participants averaged an 11 percent improvement in reaction time and a 22 percent reduced error rate. The hope is that this strategy of gamifying cognitive assessments will increase elder residents’ activity levels and improve cognitive and physical capabilities.
Treating Alzheimer’s With Light and Sound
As Alzheimer’s disease sets in, it robs the affected person in different ways. One effect of Alzheimer’s is a reduction in gamma waves, fast-frequency brain waves associated with thinking and memory. Massachusetts-based Cognito Therapeutics has created a headset that uses flashing lights and sounds to activate the brain’s visual and auditory pathways, which then generate gamma waves. With its headset, Cognito seeks to synchronize and strengthen neural connections in the brain, thus staving off cognitive decline.
Cognito undertook a study of 74 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. Some participants were given Cognito’s headset and some were given a sham device that acted as a placebo. The participants were asked to use the device for one hour every day for six months. Test subjects were evaluated by how well they were able to perform daily activities, such as dressing, eating, and getting around.
Seventy-seven percent of the group that used the Cognito headset exhibited a slowing in functional decline. Compared with the placebo group, the Cognito headset group showed a 69 percent reduction in brain atrophy, or shrinkage, when measured by MRI scans.
Looking Ahead to Future Treatment for Dementia
While we wait for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-causing diseases, these and other experimental programs and technologies represent hope for improving the quality of life for those affected. As research continues, these innovations could pave the way for more effective, personalized care solutions, helping individuals live healthier, safer, and more fulfilling lives.
Learn More About Dementia
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, contact Kristen Matthews, experienced elder law attorney, to learn about care options and how to pay for care. She can also help you prepare for the future in other ways.