If memory loss is affecting your everyday life, there are a number of devices that can help. They usually work by giving a visual, verbal or audible reminder to do something.
There is more information on the next few pages about electronic devices that can help. However, there are also non-electronic solutions to help with memory loss. These can be very simple, such as writing on notice boards and diaries, or using sticky notes or signs (it often helps to have pictures as well as words on these). For more information on non-electronic items see The memory handbook.
You can find information on specific products and prices by searching online. It can be useful to read reviews to find out whether particular products will meet your needs.
Automated prompts and reminders
There are different devices available for setting reminders, and you can tailor many of these to your needs. Some of them can include a voice recording of you or your family or friend. Types of prompts and reminders include:
- devices that detect motion – these use a sensor or pressure mat and play a pre-recorded voice when there is movement. For example, you could set one of these to play a message when you walk out of the kitchen to remind you to turn off the gas.
- devices that play set reminders – these play messages at certain times. For example, you or your family or friend could use one of these to record a message reminding you to take your medication. If you have a smart phone, a calendar app can also show reminders.
- accessing devices remotely – with many devices, including tablets, PCs and smart phones you can give people you trust the ability to access it remotely. This means they can support you by adding reminders on your behalf.
Clocks and calendars
There are lots of products that can help you keep track of the day and date. Automatic calendar clocks show the date and day of the week as well as the time. Some clocks also show whether it is morning or evening, which can be very useful when it’s light in the evening or dark in the morning.
Talking clocks are also available, and there are clock and calendar apps that you can download to your smartphone or tablet. These can be set up to meet your specific needs – for instance by choosing whether the alarm will be a noise, a flashing light or a vibration, and customising the layout of the calendar and clock.
Medication aids
There are lots of different aids that can help you to take your medication at the right time. These include:
- simple pill boxes (often known as dosette boxes) – these have separate compartments for days of the week and times of day, to make it clear when to take your medication.
- automatic pill dispensers – these are pre-filled and locked. When it’s time to take medication, the dispenser sets off an alarm and the right compartment opens so that you can access the correct pills. Some devices can be set so the alarm goes off until the pills are removed. Some devices can also alert friends or family if the medication hasn’t been taken, or if there’s a problem with the device (for example, the battery is low or it needs refilling).
It’s useful to ask the pharmacist about medication aids including what is available and what would work best for you. The pharmacist may offer you an assessment to help you pick the best one.
Locator devices
A locator device can be used to help you find things you often misplace, such as keys or a wallet. A small electronic tag is attached to each item.
Locator devices can work in different ways. In one system, if an item gets lost, pressing a button on a dedicated locator device will activate the tag with either a beeping noise, a flashing light, or a combination of both.
Locator devices can get lost so it’s usually best to keep them somewhere safe in the home, for example mounted on the wall or fixed to a shelf (as long as the battery compartment can be accessed).
Another option is to attach a small tile to each item and link them to a smartphone using an app. The location of the item can then be shown on the phone’s map app. Some apps will store the last place where the phone ‘saw’ the tile.
Hearing and vision aids
There are a range of devices that can help with sight and hearing difficulties.
For help with sight problems, there are different kinds of magnifiers that you can use for reading, ranging from handheld magnifiers to electronic magnifying video screens. There are a number of other devices such as Braille remote controls which may also help. There is also a wide range of technology available for people with hearing difficulties. This includes hearing aids, amplified phones (with louder ringtones or speech volumes), and doorbells that connect to a vibrating pager.
Virtual assistants
Smart devices and virtual assistants (such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant) allow you to give voice commands or ask questions, which they then carry out or answer. This can range from asking what the weather is like, to creating an entire ‘smart home’ system which plays music, controls the lights and adjusts the central heating (although additional equipment would be needed for these).
These devices work using ‘artificial intelligence’ which means that over time they become more useful as they ‘learn’ to recognise your voice and the best way to help you. They can be useful for lots of different purposes and you can add new functions as they are released – such as adding a home alarm system that will ‘listen’ for sounds like glass breaking and can alert you remotely. You can also programme it to remind you about appointments or when to take medication. You can also use it to make phone calls.
If you’re thinking of buying one of these devices, it’s important to know that they are always on and listening out for what is called the ‘wake word’. This is the word you use to let the device know you are about to ask a question or give an instruction. Some people have concerns about what information these devices record, how long it’s stored for and who can access it.
Robotic technology
There is a growing range of robotic technology available, including small robotic pets and automatic vacuum cleaners. There are also more advanced devices such as ‘smart robots’ that can, for example, bring you an umbrella before you leave the house when it’s raining. Like virtual assistants, many of these devices use artificial intelligence so that over time they should become more useful. As some of these devices can be quite complicated and very expensive, they won’t be suitable for everyone.
