Technology And Innovative Ideas At Center Of Alzheimer's Foundation Of America's New Dementia-Friendly Apartment
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Alzheimer's Foundation of America has just unveiled what's called "The Apartment."
It's a full-scale model of a home, designed with amenities to help people living with dementia, CBS2's Cindy Hsu reported Wednesday.
The Apartment was created to make life easier for people with dementia. It is filled with technology and ideas that may surprise you.
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Charles J. Fuschillo Jr., the president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, says calming colors can help if your loved one is agitated.
"Absolutely, so you see the blue on the couch and the bedding and throughout the apartment. It affects an individual's mood," said Charles J. Fuschillo Jr., president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.
The smart refrigerator is pretty amazing. There's a camera inside the fridge that you can access on an app from outside the home. You can also program pictures and important messages on the door.
"That will tell you, are they taking their medication? Are they eating and are they drinking when you're not here?" Fuschillo said.
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The stove can be completely covered with burners that will only heat up to a certain temperature.
"In case there's a fire, God forbid, we have extinguishers here that are hooked up by magnets that will explode at a certain temperature of baking soda and put out the fire," Fuschillo said.
There are special dishes that are easier to hold on to. The bed can be raised and lowered by remote control, and then there's the phone.
"This phone can be programmed with either large numbers or it can be the pictures of your family and friends," Fuschillo said. "They could see a picture of their loved one. Just press the button and it automatically will go to them."
A simplified remote control for the TV can also help.
"So you just press one button and you go to the favorite channel. Another button, the same thing, rather than have to surf," Fuschillo said.
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There are also clocks with extra big numbers, and labels with words and pictures to show what's inside drawers.
It's a good idea to decorate the home with old pictures and even old magazines.
"When you look at these magazines here of Life, you remember seeing these when we were kids. It will spark a memory of something in their life," Fuschillo said.
And that's the hope, that your loved one's home will help them hold on to good memories.
The Alzheimer's Foundation of America has also created a booklet with more tips on how to make a home dementia-friendly. For more information on The Apartment, please CLICK HERE.
