Social Support Aid for People with Dementia

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and the early stage of the disease is characterized by forgetfulness and trouble with remembering words and names. AD is the leading cause of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. AD is not a normal part of aging, but the risk of developing AD increases with age. It is estimated that in 2009, 5.3 million Americans have AD. As the population ages, the number of people with AD will continue to increase to an estimated 7.7 million in 2030 and 11 to 16 million in 2050. The economic costs of treating and caring for people with AD are substantial. Healthcare and long-term care services cost three times as much for individuals with AD or dementia. There are no treatments available to slow or stop brain cell death from AD. This project will validate a face recognition (FR) aid that supports people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in social situations via human subject testing. Typical users are people with an early stage of AD who desire social interaction with a large number of family members and friends. Such people may have several children, grandchildren, in-laws, and neighbors with whom they interact on a weekly or monthly basis. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: AD is a progressive disease that often begins with forgetfulness]. In the early stages of AD people may have trouble remembering recent events or the names of familiar people or things. As the disease progresses to middle stage, memory loss and confusion increase and people may have difficulty even recognizing family members.