MemoryWatch: location safety for people living with dementia

A watch app and caregiver dashboard that let people with dementia move around on their own while their caregivers know they are safe. If the wearer heads the wrong way, the app reminds them and alerts their caregiver.

Details

Built as
A school project with start-up potential
Used by
People with dementia and their caregivers
Platform
Android, web
Built with
React Native · Node.js · Android

Case study

The problem

People living with dementia can get lost even in places they know well, so caregivers often limit how far they go alone. MemoryWatch set out to give them back some independence without giving up on safety.

What we built

An app for the wearer and a web dashboard for the caregiver. The caregiver sets safe areas on a map, and can see where the wearer is. If the wearer heads away from where they should be, the app reminds them and notifies the caregiver. We prototyped it on Android phones, planning to move it onto a real wearable later.

What changed

The working prototype was shown at a school roadshow, where visitors could try it, and drew interest from organisations working in related fields.

Technical notes

React Native app on Android phones, standing in for a smartwatch; Node.js back end; web dashboard for caregivers. Geofences drive both the wearer's reminders and the caregiver's alerts.

My role

Led a team of four as the full-stack developer, building the wearer's app, the back end and the caregiver dashboard.

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