It has never been as important for the citizens of Scotland to be digitally connected. The growth of digital over the last year, as a result of the pandemic, has been exponential and has helped to keep families connected. Technological innovations have been essential for the health, well-being and resilience of our entire nation.
Development of our digital service is a key priority for Alzheimer Scotland. We use technology to keep people connected, increase access to support, and to improve quality of life for families effected by dementia.
In 2015 we launched our digital charter, actively promoting the use of technology in health and social care and to benefit the growing number of people living with dementia in Scotland and their families.
Our digital work is shaping the future for people living with dementia in Scotland, and over the last year we have been able to offer support through a variety of new, world-leading digital innovations.
ADAM
Families living with long term health conditions can often benefit from the adoption of readily available commodity technologies which would allow them greater choice and control in their lives, however the stresses of living with their condition mean that they are often don’t have the time, or ability to research and make a good decision about what might be of benefit and can waste resources purchasing the wrong things.
Adam is a digital companion who will support you to make choices in the types of citizen technologies that will help people in a variety of ways, this can range from a kettle to Samsung smart hub.
Purple Alert:
Purple Alert is a free, community-minded smart phone app to help locate people with dementia when they go missing.
After successfully reach our milestone of 10,000 downloads, Purple Alert has gone through a major design and functionality upgrade. While the main functionality is still helping to find a person with dementia if they’re lost, the new app serves tailored content to users, depending on where you are in Scotland or when you use the app. Please download the app to your device and become part of our Purple Alert community, helping to build a safer, more dementia friendly Scotland.
The UK’s First Virtual Resource Centre:
Alzheimer Scotland’s Virtual Resource Centre (VRC) is a digital representation of our physical Dementia Resource Centres (DRC) across Scotland and will be launched in summer 2021.
The VRC will be made up of a series of interactive rooms hosting information, webinars and activities. It will be designed using the same principles as our DRCs using 3D models of the furniture, lit in the same manner and with a familiar layout and signage, creating a continuous user experience.
It will be available 24 hours a day and be hosted by a digital avatar who speaks 25 languages. This innovative new service will open up our support to new demographics, including those who aren’t native English speakers, those who might not live near a physical location or have mobility issues, and also those who cannot access services running Mon-Fri during office hours.
Contributor
Deputy Director, Alzheimer Scotland
