Page 107 - Petelin, Ana. 2021. Ed. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 107
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-129-2.105-111
Apps that help the elderly with dementia
Adriana Kozina, Valentina Rok, Andrej Starc
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
E-mail: adri.kozina@gmail.com; ms.valentina.rok@gmail.com; andrej.starc@zf.uni-lj.si
Abstract
Introduction: In the year 2018, it was estimated that at the global level
were 50 million patients diagnosed with dementia, and the cost of their
treatment had risen to over one billion US dollars. With the growth of
the elderly population, that number shall only grow higher in the future.
Research shows that specific mobile apps on smart devices could be used
to help patients with dementia. The usage could reduce the financial
cost of this illness, also. On the other hand elderly people do not have
sufficient knowledge of the apps, and dementia influences their cognitive
functions. Methods: We used a descriptive method with critical analysis
of English scientific literature, using databases Cochrane Library,
Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Wiley Online Library. The
keywords used were: apps for dementia, apps for elderly with dementia,
apps for dementia prevention. Between the words was used the Boolean
logical operator AND. We included the literature published between
2013 and 2020, which were free and fully accessible. Results: We detected
1140 articles after the inclusion of all criteria. Only 8 scientific papers met
the inclusion criteria and were about apps for patients with dementia.
In the smart mobile marketplace exist several mobile apps, which are
used for: diagnosing people with dementia, prevention for developing
dementia, enhancing cognitive functions and apps for helping patients
with everyday activities. Most free and accessible apps do not cover all
the specific needs of people diagnosed with dementia. We expect that
soon, there shall be a rise in such mobile apps development. Discussion
and conclusions: Based on the appropriate design and the technology,
app’s could be used for improvement of physical, mental and social
aspects of persons diagnosed with dementia. Mobile apps used for
preventive strengthening of cognitive functions or for control and
slowing the progress of dementia have proved to be an adequate tool for
quick and efficient assessment of dementia. The development of such
Apps that help the elderly with dementia
Adriana Kozina, Valentina Rok, Andrej Starc
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
E-mail: adri.kozina@gmail.com; ms.valentina.rok@gmail.com; andrej.starc@zf.uni-lj.si
Abstract
Introduction: In the year 2018, it was estimated that at the global level
were 50 million patients diagnosed with dementia, and the cost of their
treatment had risen to over one billion US dollars. With the growth of
the elderly population, that number shall only grow higher in the future.
Research shows that specific mobile apps on smart devices could be used
to help patients with dementia. The usage could reduce the financial
cost of this illness, also. On the other hand elderly people do not have
sufficient knowledge of the apps, and dementia influences their cognitive
functions. Methods: We used a descriptive method with critical analysis
of English scientific literature, using databases Cochrane Library,
Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Wiley Online Library. The
keywords used were: apps for dementia, apps for elderly with dementia,
apps for dementia prevention. Between the words was used the Boolean
logical operator AND. We included the literature published between
2013 and 2020, which were free and fully accessible. Results: We detected
1140 articles after the inclusion of all criteria. Only 8 scientific papers met
the inclusion criteria and were about apps for patients with dementia.
In the smart mobile marketplace exist several mobile apps, which are
used for: diagnosing people with dementia, prevention for developing
dementia, enhancing cognitive functions and apps for helping patients
with everyday activities. Most free and accessible apps do not cover all
the specific needs of people diagnosed with dementia. We expect that
soon, there shall be a rise in such mobile apps development. Discussion
and conclusions: Based on the appropriate design and the technology,
app’s could be used for improvement of physical, mental and social
aspects of persons diagnosed with dementia. Mobile apps used for
preventive strengthening of cognitive functions or for control and
slowing the progress of dementia have proved to be an adequate tool for
quick and efficient assessment of dementia. The development of such
