Face App for Dementia

Face App for Dementia

Sometimes you witness it for yourself and other times you hear a story from friends and co-workers about dealing with loved ones or relatives that have neurocognitive disorders. Stories often include details about elderly loved ones who slowly began to lose his or her memory. There are stories about how someone’s grandmother left the stove burner on and caused a fire, or someone’s great uncle left the car running in the parking lot outside the diner because he forgot to disengage the keys from the ignition. Sometimes there are stories about a grandparent who wandered off and became lost. For those who live with elderly people that have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, it can be a trying experience keeping tabs on his or her whereabouts, making sure he or she hasn’t forgotten something important, or checking and double-checking that he or she has not left some dangerous situation unattended.

It can be hard to relate to these stories if you have never personally had to cope with someone you know losing his or her memory. But have you ever wondered what it must be like to live with a memory disorder? What is it like not knowing things that you really should know?

A new application for use with a person’s Facebook page could help give people a better understanding of what it is like to live with a disease that affects one’s memory, such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Alzheimer’s Research UK has released an application for use with Facebook profiles that will temporarily delete important posts, pictures, and life events from a user’s timeline, which is meant to represent how dementia affects a person’s memory. The rest of a person’s profile stays the same: their name and profile picture remain at the top of the page, but status updates and details will disappear from the page.

Alzheimer’s Research UK believes that this application is a great way to spread awareness about these cognitive diseases while also giving people the opportunity to experience how the disease affects those who are afflicted with the condition. The perspective that can be gained from this application can go a long way towards developing a better understanding of what the disease does to people and allow people to have a first-hand glimpse into the sense of helplessness and loss that people with these conditions sometimes feel and have to deal with. The group hopes to also reduce the stigma associated with these conditions.

Facts About Alzheimer’s Disease

Why is raising awareness important? The Alzheimer’s Association reports that over 5 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s disease. It is the 6th leading cause of death in this country, and one out of three seniors will develop the disease with two-thirds of those with the disease being women. The Association also estimates that one American develops the disease every 67 seconds. With neurocognitive diseases that have these kinds of impacts on the lives of so many Americans, we can’t afford to not be aware of these types of diseases and how they affect those who have them.

Contacting an Elder Abuse Attorney

If you are concerned that a relative, close friend, or loved one living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is not being cared for appropriately at a nursing home, you should contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney today. Contact The Rooth Law Firm online or by phone at (847) 869-9100.

Photo Credit: Franco Bouly via Compfight cc