A product service to help Alzheimer's dyads
Background
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with the disease — those with the late-onset type symptoms first appear in their mid-60s.
People with Alzheimer’s also experience changes in behavior and personality.
Role
Product-Service Strategy
Skills
Ui design
Ux research
Systems Thinking
Duration (Academic)
4 weeks | April 2024
Mentor
Jorge Arango
Context
Know it through numbers
5
th
Alzheimer's disease was the fifth-leading cause of death among people age 65 and older in 2021.
20
years
Number of years you could have the disease before symptoms appear.
Number of Americans who live with Alzheimer’s disease above the age of 65 in 2021.
7
million
But Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t just affect the patients...
11
mil
Number of Americans who provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias.
bil
18.4
Number of hours of care provided by unpaid caregivers in 2023 valued at nearly $350 billion.
%
70
Percentage of dementia caregivers saying that coordinating care is stressful. 74% say that they are concerned about maintaining their own health.
…Caregivers and their mental health is affected too.
For families who can’t afford external/ paid help, most of the times these caregivers are close family of the patient, providing unpaid care.
Prompting us to question
How might we analyze AD patient’s health in real-time, to regulate moods to offload cognitive load of caregivers, and thus provide holistic care & support to the dyad to ensure optimal care?
Research
Patient's Journey
Most of the time throughout the day, the patient remains in a negative mood ranging from loneliness to feeling aggression to then feeling happiness.
These extreme mood swings put pressure on the caregiver as he has to manage his own life as well as his mother’s.
Caregiver (son) can’t keep a track of his mother’s mood swings, even if he is trying his best- taking a toll on his mental health.
Feedback Loop
Understanding the current state
Research Insights
What the academics say
The success of dementia management will depend upon how well the care provided is able to maximize the function, independence, and dignity of the individual living with dementia while minimizing care partner strain and burnout.
Effective care = care for patient + low stress for caregiver
Emotional changes can be evaluated directly via EEG signals because emotions are related to voltage changes caused by the flow of ionic currents among neurons in the brain.
Proposed biosensor can measure EEG levels to detect emotions
Collaborative care for the treatment of Alzheimer disease resulted in significant improvement in the quality of care and in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia among primary care patients and their caregivers.
Effective care= opting for help from specialized teams
The APA guide suggests trying non-medication options first, such as changing the environment or routines to help calm and reduce sources of agitation. For example, it may be helpful to create a calming environment, reduce noise and distractions.
Changing home environment helps AD patient with moods
The Care Ecosystem (CE) model includes:
Care Team Navigators (CTNs)
Clinicians with dementia expertise (nurse, pharmacist, social worker)
Care protocols
Curated information and resources
Effective care= opting for help from specialized teams
Home automation technology has the potential to be adapted to promote independence and safety of individuals with ADRD while relieving care burden.
Smart home technology can help the dyad manage everyday life.
Opportunity Areas
Identifying solution spaces
Monitoring dashboard: Phone App
Aggregates data from wearable health monitor, smart home devices, and cognitive stimulation games.
Integrate AI to give care advice based on patient history and patterns.
Wearable Device: Biosensor
Bio sensor measuring EEG (electroencephalography) levels.
When a specific physical or psychological event occurs during EEG recording, the voltage fluctuations in the EEG data can be measured and recorded, and the noise can be filtered. Then, the changes in brain potential can be calculated, and the event-related potential (ERP) can be determined.
Smart Home Environment
Adjusts the home environment based on the patient's needs and behavior, ensuring safety and comfort.
Safety Features
Comfort settings
Adaptive Response
Ecosystem Model
Imagining the future solution
Feedback Loop
Ideal future state
Coming Soon: How the solution works
