It seems that no matter what you
want to do, someone will remind you, “There’s an app for that,” and sure enough
there is. Often it is things you don’t even think about. “How did you tie that
scarf?” There’s an app for that. Apple owns the trademark for the slogan, but
it now pops up in everyday language.
It has become a running joke that
apps can make the difficult easy. They provide quick, simple solutions. We now
have an “app generation” that knows they can click on an icon and have the
knowhow that used to be passed from generation to generation. They take for
granted having the world at their fingertips, a world that we couldn’t even
imagine when we were kids.
As personal electronic devices
become easier and more user friendly, we boomers have come to embrace the
wonderful world of technology. What we have learned is something that younger
generations have always had. We went through years of schooling without spell
check, grammar check, the ability to just back up to erase the typed word, no
Google search for research papers, rotary telephones plugged into a wall that
served one purpose—conversation, and no concept of what an “app” was, or that
it would ever exist.
Even those of us boomers with wild
imaginations didn’t foresee the day when school kids would be walking around
with text books on a slim device. And the thought of being in constant
communication with our parents would have probably seemed more like a nightmare
than a desired condition. Our parents were parents—not our best friends.
Now that we boomers are reaching the
age when we are most vulnerable to Alzheimer’s, the brave new world has come up
with a possible solution—maybe, just maybe, there is, or will be, an app for
people with dementia.
I read an article this morning about
Apple and Google technology helping fight Alzheimer’s disease. The article
spoke of tests and treatments disguised as games. Wrist watches and eye glasses
that could be used for GPS tracking, facial recognition, and help with daily
living.
Maybe more research should go into developing
smart phones, or other electronic devices, specifically for people with dementia,
especially those who are in early stages. Devices would need to be easy to keep
track of, super easy to use with voice activated apps, and pictures.
Think about the problems that people
in the early stages of dementia have—they forget appointments, forget to take
medication, get lost, have trouble communicating, and trouble problem solving. Well,
I know for a fact that I’ve used my smart phone to solve the first three
problems on that list. I’m not too likely to forget appointments when my smart
phone reminds me. I had trouble remembering to take my morning medication until
I put a reminder on my phone. Getting lost is not an option with GPS on my
phone. Wouldn’t it be easier for the memory impaired to communicate if they
could see the person they were talking to instead of just hearing them? After
all, words are only seven percent of our communication with each other. Facial
expressions are included in body language and account for 55 percent. We’ve
already discussed that there’s an app for solving a myriad of problems.
Why not have Medicare dollars pay
for technology to enhance independent ability rather than drugs that cause side
effects and often diminish alertness? Not only can technology help now, it will
be even more beneficial for future generations who have technology entrenched
in their long-term memories.
copyright© May 2014 by L.S. Fisher
Article:
Sun, Leo.
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/05/18/how-apple-and-google-are-helping-fight-alzheimers.aspx
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