deMens: tablet application to promote communication among elderly people

deMens consists of three applications, namely a core user application, an input application and an administrator application. The core user application runs on a tablet. This extremely simple application provides content contextually and is used by the elder, or core user. The input applications are used by the environment and mainly serve to transmit messages in the form of photos, text messages, videos and audio clips to the elder. These applications run on tablet, smartphone and desktop. The administrator application is used by the administrator and serves, among other things, to validate messages and manage folders.

A digital environment of participants is assembled around the elder. This includes informal carers, family members, significant third parties and care providers. Only those involved have access to the environment. All participants make an effort to 'feed' the core user application through the input application. Material of all kinds is collected. These are mainly visual and auditory materials, such as music, videos and photos. These messages can be brought into the 'cloud' using a desktop, tablet or smartphone. After being approved by an administrator via the administrator application, the material is made available in the core user application. The core user is offered all the messages contextually and can view them on the tablet via a simple user interface. The core user can then link back to the cloud independently or guided.

deMens werd ontwikkeld en getest aan de hand van een wetenschappelijk onderzoek. Hieruit bleek dat de zorgapplicatie een positief effect kan hebben op de communicatie en het contact tussen ouderen en hun hulpverleners. De invloed op de relatie tussen familieleden en ouderen dient nog verder onderzocht te worden. Een verdere ontwikkeling van de applicatie kan nuttig zijn om dit ook te gebruiken in de thuissituatie, zodat ouderen langer thuis kunnen wonen.