April 17, 2023

Technology Helps Elevate Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care from a Program to an Experience

About Brookdale Senior Living

Brookdale Senior Living offers multiple care levels for seniors in more than 600 communities nationwide. Brookdale helps you find the right care plan for yourself or your loved one. With amenities such as transportation services, salons and private dining rooms and activities such as gardening, fitness classes and trivia nights Brookdale caters to a wide range of interests and needs.

By 2030, the Census Bureau estimates that as many as 74 million baby boomers in the United States will be age 65 or older, and they just might be the most tech-savvy group of seniors yet. Data collected by Pew Research Center in 2019 found that 68% of baby boomers (ages 55 to 73) and 40% of the Silent Generation (ages 74 to 91) own smartphones. So as the number of baby boomers in long-term care rises, so will their comfort with — and expectations of — technology in their care settings.

The need for technology in senior living increases when it comes to dementia care. Clare Bridge®, Brookdale’s Alzheimer’s and dementia care program, utilizes technological innovations to support residents living with dementia. The following six tools help make residents’ lives easier, safer and more connected at select Clare Bridge communities.

1. InTouch^SM

Powered by It’s Never 2 Late™ (iN2L) technology, the InTouch program is an intuitively designed touch-screen computer that brings the outside world in. Developed for those living with dementia, Clare Bridge residents utilize InTouch to play brain-stimulating games, solve puzzles, travel virtually, read hometown newspapers, listen to therapeutic music, engage in spiritual content, watch relaxation videos and much more.

2. Falls Detection Powered by AI

As you know, individuals living with dementia face an increased risk of falls. Technology like SafelyYou™ can help manage this risk. Select Clare Bridge communities offer this real-time falls-detection technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled video review to identify opportunities to help reduce the frequency of falls. A product of the UC Berkeley’s AI Research Lab, the camera detects a fall in real time using AI technology, automatically notifies on-site care staff, and provides fall video review to help assess risk and make prevention recommendations.

3. Cognitive and Physical Wellness Through Technology

Dementia care at Brookdale embraces the importance of exercising the body and mind. Select Clare Bridge locations offer an innovative cognitive-training system comprised of LED lights that help exercise neural pathways. And for those looking to move their bodies, the NuStep® cross trainer is a fun-to-ride virtual cybercycle that raises the heart rate while remaining gentle on the joints.

4. Friendly Robotics

To help combat loneliness among seniors living with dementia, Brookdale Clare Bridge communities offer Ageless Innovation’s JoyForAll™ companion pets. These robotic animals help our residents feel engaged, connected and loved. The pets provide a safe alternative to pet ownership, as residents can enjoy the benefits of companionship without the undue burden and responsibility of live animals. Residents can experience comfort and joy as they connect one-on-one with their new friends.

5. Hearing Amplification

A greater incidence of dementia was found among older adults with self-reported hearing loss, according to data from a 2020 report by The Lancet Commissions. To aid our residents with hearing loss, many Clare Bridge communities feature Eversound™ technology, a listening system that broadcasts sound to wireless headsets from a microphone or auxiliary cord. Headphone systems can be used one-on-one or in large group interactions to better engage with fellow residents.

6. Multisensory Experiences

Brookdale’s Clare Bridge Solace® program, a late-stage care program designed to help support residents living with advanced stages of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, prioritizes comfort and relaxation. In addition to music, aromatherapy and companion pets, the Clare Bridge Solace program also offers the Wellness Nordic Relax Chair®, a fully automated reclining chair that combines music, tactile stimulation and rocking motions to offer a calming, multisensory experience.

Dementia care at Brookdale helps meet the holistic needs of patients living with dementia by implementing technology for easier, safer and more-connected lived experiences. Help your patient find a community today.

^{InTouch™ technology is powered by It’s Never 2 Late (iN2L)™. SafelyYou™ is a trademark of SafelyYouInc. NuStep® is a registered trademark of NuStep, LLC. JoyForAll™ Pets is a registered trademark of Ageless Innovation, LLC. Eversound™ is a trademark of HEADPHONE EVENTS, INC. Wellness Nordic Relax Chair® is a trademark belonging to the Arjo group of companies. ©Arjo, 2018.}

^{©BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING, CLARE BRIDGE, CLARE BRIDGE CROSSINGS, and CLARE BRIDGE SOLACE are registered trademarks of Brookdale Senior Living Inc.}

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