Journey with dementia mother - using technology to assist

What we are about to share has nothing to do with technology, but some experiences, tips and tricks to deal with everyday caregiving for your loved ones. TV Remote Control There are so many buttons on the remote control, can someone with dementia remember which one to press? Well, my mum doesn’t, so to make things easier for her, we started cling/plastic wrapped the TV remote and use tape to mask out those buttons which she doesn’t need to use. If masking out the buttons don't work, perhaps cutting/taking/snipping out the buttons from the TV remote could be another alternative. Heavily used TV Remote Timer for Air-conditioning Mum loves air-conditioning as she sweats easily. We noticed she switched it on for more than 12 hours sometimes, kept switching on and off several times per day and press the wrong buttons. At first, we masked out the buttons on the air-con remote just like the TV remote. But it turned out setting the timer is a better solution since it do...

The tracker uses GPS and NB-IoT (NarrowBand IoT) to locate your Pet. Small, lightweight (26grams!) and 30 days of battery life is simply remarkable.  I hope they come up with something for humans using the same technology soon. Click here for the article in Gadgets and Wearables: Xiaomi's PetBit is the MiBand for pets Share with us your thoughts and also if you like to find out more.

It is always interesting to read about how technology progresses and enhances healthcare. How we can learn and implement into our daily caregiving, is one of the reasons we started this blog. The article we are sharing here is about an open source framework by Apple which allows developers and researchers to create apps, tools for medical use. In this case, Parkinson’s. Click here for the article in Engaget: Apple Watch can now be used to monitor Parkinson’s symptoms Perhaps  we will have something to monitor possible symptoms leading to dementia? Share with us your thoughts and also if you like to find out more.

So which one to choose you might be asking. Well, if you are in a country like Singapore where 2G mobile service is already history, Weenect is not the choice. Trackimo also has a 2G version, so take note if you are buying one. Top priority of choosing a Tracker to me is always reliability, affordability and the right size. All the 3 trackers we tried are not very big or very heavy. As mentioned in my earlier post , double check the mobile plan you sign up for if you use OMG. Also, you also want to take note if you are bringing your loved-one overseas bring OMG tracker. Again, it depends on the mobile plan you have. Overseas SMS maybe chargeable. Weenect Trackimo OMG Dimensions 6.5cm x 4cm x 1.8cm 4.5cm x 4cm x 1.7cm 6.1cm x 4.4cm x 1.6cm Weight 55g 42g 35g Connectivity 2G 3G 3G Geofencing Yes (round) Yes (square) Yes (polygon) SOS Yes Yes Yes Voice monitoring Yes No Yes Two-way communications No No Yes...

After one year of using Trackimo, the battery seemed to have depleted quite a lot. Suddenly one day, we realized that a full charge will not last a day. By mid-day, I would receive an alert from Trackimo that the battery is running low at 10%. And fully flat by the time Mum reaches home from day-care. The battery was also bloated therefore indicated that it is spoiled. So, we got to order an extra battery but it took time to ship from US to Singapore. While waiting for the battery, we need to make sure mum doesn’t wander outside the house when she is not in day-care. Everyone in the family are in “high alert”. So we were so relieved to finally received the battery. Mum's Trackimo is working as good as before. YEAH!! Battery packing It comes with a “dummy charging cradle” as specified in Trackimo website and a 600mAh battery. “Dummy charging cradle” means you can’t charge the battery with it? We tried charging and it seem work though. Cradle and battery The ...

Time passes so fast and we just renewed the subscription for a second year. Let’s take a look on what are included in the box. What's in there? The box comes with the device, International SIM, battery, mini screw driver, battery cover with magnetic attachment, silicone cover, battery cover with clip-on and USB charging cable. Size competing to a 50 cents coin According to the official website, the device weights 42grams and is 47x40x14. Mum has carry it in her pants pockets together with the house keys without issue.  Share with us your thoughts and also if you like to find out more.