Simple, dementia-friendly tablets and mobile phones

A connected app connects caregivers with loved ones, facilitating communication and activity tracking

Spotted: The World Health Organization has flagged dementia as a public health priority, with more than 55 million people worldwide living with the disease and 10 million new cases identified every year.

For families and caregivers, technology plays an increasingly important role in the management of the disease. In the United States, age-tech company Carl’s co-founder used his lived experience caring for his father to create a dementia-friendly smartphone and tablet. Along with the accompanying app, Carl’s tech helps caregivers and people living with the disease more easily navigate online life and stay connected.

Smartphone and tablet features include spam blockers and one-touch dialing and call answering, as well as improved visual components to make it easier to identify people and access favourite tools and apps, such as music and photos.

The Carl Family App connects loved ones and caregiving teams for a seamless interface between locations and people. The app tracks the battery level and location of the phone owned by the person with dementia. Phones are shipped directly to users, and access to the family app comes via invitation from the iOS and Android app stores.

The app is already available in 25 different languages, but Carl plans to introduce additional languages along with culturally relevant customisation options for the phone, tablet, and app to make dementia care accessible to more communities around the world.

Carl recently brought its products to market following $1.15 million raised in pre-seed funding and a successful pilot programme.

Written By: Keely Khoury