Examiner.com

Sensecam is a device with a tiny digital camera within it that is worn around the neck. It takes hundreds of pictures per minute. The device is being tested by Carnegie Mellon University as a possible aid to memory issues in the elderly. When worn by a senior as they travel or visit and attend functions, it automatically takes pictures and associates them with the location via a GPS device in the Sensecam as well. Then someone, such as a caregiver, can load the trips pictures in a computer and add notations and even voice notations and associate them to a few significant photos from the event. Then, the senior can view the photos on a tablet pc or device such as the iPad, fingering through the pictures and notations. It seems that someone with Alzheimer’s can remember a few key photos of somewhere they have been and then the notations will help them remember that they were there.

This is a technology that is in its infancy and needs to be evaluated and further developed, but one can easily imagine how something like this may help with anyone with memory issues and give an affected person more confidence by just knowing that they can indeed remember somewhere they had visited, such as a family reunion or shopping trip.

Giving dignity to the elderly and Alzheimer’s victims can often provide volumes of health improvement by alleviating depression and giving back confidence.

For more information, read this article from the New York Times. Be sure to also check the Pittsburgh Elder Care Examiner homepage for more resources and information about elder care.