Residents with dementia 'come alive' and unlock memories through innovative touch screen system

Residents with dementia at a Primetower care home, are now able to unlock their memories through music and archive photographs from different eras, due to a touch screen system called CIRCA.

The technology is being used at Links care home in Broadstone, Poole in a drive to improve life for its residents with dementia.

CIRCA (Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid) contains an extensive collection of archive photographs, video clips and popular music which is easily accessed by simply touching the screen.

A spokeswoman for the care home said: “To see residents using it and suddenly come alive, and be able to find their own words, access their memories and start to express themselves is such a reward, for both the carers who want to make conversation and help them to have a better life, and of course their relatives – as they can see them come back to being more like their old selves.”

“It starts out like a picture book, but is so much more as it is interactive and features videos and music. It is not a learning or training tool, it is solely to promote conversation and interaction, and it works wonderfully.”

The system was designed by researchers from the University of Dundee. Dr Norman Alm, who led on the project, said: “Finding ways to promote communication for elderly people with dementia is vitally important. Reminiscence sessions take advantage of the enjoyment that older people, both with and without dementia, have in relating well-rehearsed and well remembered previous experiences or events of personal and emotional significance.

“Of particular interest is the fact that in dementia, long-term memory is often relatively well preserved even though short-term memory is impaired. This project has produced an innovatively designed reminiscence experience based on interactive multimedia. The CIRCA system provides the user with a hypermedia structure for their communication and thereby creates a livelier and more engaging form of joint reminiscence activity than is possible with a paper scrapbook.

“Evaluation of the system with people with dementia and their carers has shown that, compared to traditional reminiscence methods, CIRCA helps to create a more successful conversation, facilitating increased communication from the person with dementia, and helping them to take control of the interaction.”