Can you please elaborate on your experience if you have first-hand experience? How it it useful or in what ways did you find the technology problematic? Did your family member or friend change their outlook or mood?
By “technology”, what do you mean? Computers? Tablets? Gaming systems? I know that in my mother’s case, she was unable to operate a simple alarm clock. Keep in mind that people with dementia, especially advanced cases, live in their own minds. Using social media or things like that are confusing to them. Maybe if you could elaborate a little more on what you mean, we could give you a better answer. Thanks.
Teaching something new to a person suffering from Dementia isn't going to happen. Their loss of short term memory doesn't allow it. In the early stage my Mom forgot how to use her phone and TV remote. She could no longer read a book. She jumped all over it. She never played games or did puzzles so no amusement there. If they didn't do it before they are probably not going to be able to do it now.
My MIL who DOES have dementia (couldn't say what level) is baffled by most anything techie. Compounding the speed at which things change with the fact she is almost 100% deaf has made her world a small space indeed.
She can use the internet and just uses it for FB and never turns her computer off b/c she cannot reboot it.
She only uses FB to look at pics of her fave g-grandkids. Her comments are always just enormous emojis and we have had to tell her that some of those emojis are not 'polite'.
She can turn on her TV and change the channel. She can use a cell phone, but again, cannot hear it, so calls to it go unanswered.
Sadly, altho DH has worked and worked with her, he can't get her to learn how to call and Uber, or order groceries to be delivered. THAT would be useful!
My mom does not have dementia, but gets rattled easily. She cannot use the computer, her phone is a constant source of anxiety and the TV is set to 2-3 stations. All she has to do is turn it on and change the channel from HallMark to the sports channel she likes.
Nothing else interests her. I thought she'd like and iPad, but it sits, plugged in and unused.
I wish I could say I was a real whiz--but I myself cannot work our "big" TV, which is a source of hilarity for my DH. I'm 63, and not techie in the least. DH is an engineer, so he has kept abreast of all things technologically advanced.
I think it would depend on the person--of course. Technology is not a one-size-fits all kind of thing. what works with my Kindle is useless for my phone.
Dementia patients cover a huge spread of ages and stages. What one can do another can’t. Is your loved one tech Savy now? If so, probably no problem for awhile. My aunt at 93 and with dementia loves looking at photos on smart phones. Knows how to swipe through them. She watches videos on any screen presented. She has a simplified remote but I’ve seen her pick up the more difficult to operate ones and not have a bit of trouble. She was never computer literate. Some on here have loved ones who pay their bills etc on laptops. Again, it just depends. No two are alike.
There is no way my Husband could have or would have used technology during the course of his dementia. Even before the diagnosis (I say be fore the dx because I think he was exhibiting symptoms for a LONG time prior) he did not even like using a cell phone, never used the computer. It came to the point where he would not use the remote for the TV and could not grasp the concept on how the recliner worked when I replaced the one with the lever that he pulled to recline to one that had an attached remote with an up and down button. He was in his early 70's when he died. I am sure the "Millennial's" 1980's to 1994 and the "Gen Z" 1995 through 2012 (had to look those up folks) will have a very different response to the technology as they age and develop dementia's of varying types. Then again the technology will surpass what they can grasp then as well. I guess technology will out pace us all and it seems to be moving faster and faster forward while we plod along at a normal pace.
I agree about how it depends on the person and their level of progression. If they use a smart phone or computer before dementia, they may continue with it a while, but eventually, things like communication are not easy or even possible. They may even be confused about using a regular phone.
One of the things that goes is “initiative”. They may see a newspaper, but have no initiative to pick it up. The same goes for a phone or tablet. Most people with dementia, at a certain point lose their focus, so any activity has to be supervised to keep them on track.
They may look at something like a tv, but can’t interpret what is happening. Their world gets smaller in their mind, so social media and communication may hold little interest for them.
And while things like Seri would be helpful as a personal assistant to a person with dementia, it holds limitations, because the person with dementia would forget how to address the assistant AND eventually, forget that the assistant is available...no matter how often they are reminded. So, it might be useful, with supervision and direct instruction.
What my LO who has dementia enjoyed previously was watching her favorite music videos on an iPad. But, she was not able to utilize it at all due to her condition.
Not sure if this qualifies as tech but my brother put a loop of photos on a digital picture screen. Mom loves it! He mixed nature photos with family pictures. Mom does not need to do a thing and she never gets tired of looking at it. It sits in a nice frame on her table.
I like Tryingmybest's suggestion is really good.
She can use the internet and just uses it for FB and never turns her computer off b/c she cannot reboot it.
She only uses FB to look at pics of her fave g-grandkids. Her comments are always just enormous emojis and we have had to tell her that some of those emojis are not 'polite'.
She can turn on her TV and change the channel. She can use a cell phone, but again, cannot hear it, so calls to it go unanswered.
Sadly, altho DH has worked and worked with her, he can't get her to learn how to call and Uber, or order groceries to be delivered. THAT would be useful!
My mom does not have dementia, but gets rattled easily. She cannot use the computer, her phone is a constant source of anxiety and the TV is set to 2-3 stations. All she has to do is turn it on and change the channel from HallMark to the sports channel she likes.
Nothing else interests her. I thought she'd like and iPad, but it sits, plugged in and unused.
I wish I could say I was a real whiz--but I myself cannot work our "big" TV, which is a source of hilarity for my DH. I'm 63, and not techie in the least. DH is an engineer, so he has kept abreast of all things technologically advanced.
I think it would depend on the person--of course. Technology is not a one-size-fits all kind of thing. what works with my Kindle is useless for my phone.
My aunt at 93 and with dementia loves looking at photos on smart phones. Knows how to swipe through them. She watches videos on any screen presented. She has a simplified remote but I’ve seen her pick up the more difficult to operate ones and not have a bit of trouble. She was never computer literate. Some on here have loved ones who pay their bills etc on laptops. Again, it just depends. No two are alike.
He was in his early 70's when he died. I am sure the "Millennial's" 1980's to 1994 and the "Gen Z" 1995 through 2012 (had to look those up folks) will have a very different response to the technology as they age and develop dementia's of varying types. Then again the technology will surpass what they can grasp then as well. I guess technology will out pace us all and it seems to be moving faster and faster forward while we plod along at a normal pace.
One of the things that goes is “initiative”. They may see a newspaper, but have no initiative to pick it up. The same goes for a phone or tablet. Most people with dementia, at a certain point lose their focus, so any activity has to be supervised to keep them on track.
They may look at something like a tv, but can’t interpret what is happening. Their world gets smaller in their mind, so social media and communication may hold little interest for them.
And while things like Seri would be helpful as a personal assistant to a person with dementia, it holds limitations, because the person with dementia would forget how to address the assistant AND eventually, forget that the assistant is available...no matter how often they are reminded. So, it might be useful, with supervision and direct instruction.
What my LO who has dementia enjoyed previously was watching her favorite music videos on an iPad. But, she was not able to utilize it at all due to her condition.