Elderly well-being is not just a matter of keeping senior citizens safe from physical harm; it also includes keeping their minds healthy. The onset of dementia is a real threat as we age and Alzheimer’s disease is thought to contribute to around 60-70% of dementia cases according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Something like 50 million people suffer from dementia around the world with nearly 10 million new cases being diagnosed each year. It causes memory loss and issues with language and problem-solving and there is no cure; however, cognitive inactivity is thought to be one of the risk factors so keeping our minds active in later life and even younger could help prevent or slow the onset of dementia.
These “brain activation” type exercises must be both fun and stimulating to encourage subjects to: a) do the exercises regularly and; b) ensure the exercises are effectively activating the correct parts of the brain. But finding such exercises can be difficult – reading and Sudoku puzzles are often the go-to suggestions but there are new technological advances that provide a much more focused and effective approach.
The brain sensor Ex-Brain, developed by NeU Corporation based in Japan and invented by a leading brain scientist Dr Ryuta Kawashima, is the world’s smallest brain activation sensor making it ideal for use at home or elderly care centers.
The device uses completely harmless infrared technology to detect how active certain parts of the brain are during different activities in real time so, working through the mobile app, the device will adjust the difficulty level of the brain activation exercises to suit the participant.
The ability to set a regular training schedule also ensures regular use of the device and the measurements taken can help to monitor brain function over time serving as an on-going assessment tool for therapists.
This devices show that technology is an invaluable tool in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. They provide excellent ways to stimulate brain activity through brain training exercises to help slow cognitive degeneration and improve the mental health and well-being of the elderly and even younger people – it’s never too early to keep your brain well-trained and in tip-top condition!
Guardforce is a leading provider of technological solutions for both the security and mental well-being of our community. Contact us today to learn more about our elderly well-being solutions and other technology which can help to keep our senior citizens safe.
