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A PERSONAL STORY
My Grandma suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease. The illness has caused her to forget things that were very important to her. We stay connected by sending her photos through her iPad, in hopes that she would remember us for as long as possible. Her caregiver would give her the iPad and my Grandma would look at the photos. Sometimes she remembers the people in the photos, sometimes she doesn’t, because recognizing people is becoming increasingly difficult. She also needs her caregiver to help her remember to do everyday tasks such as taking medication or making phone calls. Her illness is making difficult for to stay connected with each other.
As the disease progressed, my grandma started to lose track of time and have difficulty managing her daily activities. We set up visual aids around the house to help her remember events, and continued to send her photos, in hope that she would remember us, for as long as possible.
The picture below is the whiteboard we put up for my grandma in her living room. It has my Dad’s phone number on top. In the middle is the phone number of the person she needs to visit and the respective address. "Sunday", the day of the week of this particular day, is written at the bottom in Chinese.
On the left is the iPad that my grandmother uses to look at pictures we sent her.
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As time went by, I started to wonder, is there a simple mobile app that could help my grandmother and other Alzheimer’s or dementia patients remember events, stay engaged with friends and family, and recognize people around them? An app that could help my grandmother in the same way that all the things we set up for her helps her remember?
My family hunted extensively for such an app we were sure must exist. But we came away disappointed because in fact, it didn’t.
There are many tools in the market but none of them help patients improve their daily lives. We also found that there were very few apps developed for elderly, due to the stereotype that old people cannot use technology. They are the underserved demographic.
Right at around that time, I started learning how to code in Swift, an iOS Programming Language. So I took the matter into my own hands and developed Timeless.
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WHAT IS TIMELESS?
Timeless is a first of its kind, simple, caregiver assisted, easy-to-use mobile app for Alzheimer’s and dementia that helps them remember events, stay connected and engaged with friends and family, and recognize loved ones using artificial intelligence-based facial recognition technology.
PHASE I of Timeless has four key functions:
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The patient signs into Timeless with Touch-ID or Face-ID. Passwords are not needed.
Timeless is managed by a caregiver. The role of the caregiver is to help set up events, activities, appointments and manage the patients' Timeless circle of friends.
Timeless’ comprehensive feature set addresses the daily challenges faced by Alzheimer’s patients in a unique and simple way.
Timeless works on all Apple devices including all iPhones 6 or above with iOS 11 or up, and iPads.
Phase I is a foundational phase and once it is built, additional functionalities will be added in Phase II and III.
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FUTURE PLANS
PHASE II
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PHASE III
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DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS TO-DATE
Timeless' concept was incubated in March 2016, and a prototype was built in April 2016. The concept was very well received and garnered many awards and recognitions. I have since worked with Ms. Liliia Mandrino - a Human Experience Designer based in Dallas, Texas, who has provided in-kind support to revamp the app's UX/UI design. Liliia and I then subsequently worked with Dr. Melissa Kramps, an Alzheimer's Disease Specialist, to ensure that the app is designed with the needs of an Alzheimer's patients in mind.
The app is now completely redesigned. The next step is to complete the development of the app so that it can be piloted with patients and their families.
CHALLENGES AND RISKS
The prototype was developed entirely by myself. Since I am a full-time student, my time is limited and therefore the development progress has been slow. I can continue to develop the app myself but the risk of not completing the app is high. I realized that in order to scale the development, I need to expand the development resources beyond myself so that I can get the development off the ground quickly.
RESOURCES NETWORK
After many rounds of recruitment research, I connected with a software developer in Cologne, Germany who will join me in the development of Timeless.
With a design expert and a software developer, I believe I have a resources network in place to take Timeless' development to the next level.
What we need now is funding for the development & marketing efforts for Phase I & II.
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FUNDING NEEDS
We are seeking to raise $50,000 to support the development and marketing of Timeless. The breakdown of the required funding is as follows:
1. $10,000 - Complete the design and development of Phase I
2. $20,000 - Design and development of Phase II
3. $20,000 - First Year Maintenance & Support + Marketing and Promotion cost
Development Timeline:
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THE TEAM
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ADVISORS
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TECHNOLOGY SPONSOR
The AI-based facial recognition technology behind Timeless is provided by Kairos, a human analytics start-up based in Miami.
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THE IMPACT
PREVALENCE OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
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Today, Alzheimer’s disease is a serious problem around the world. Alzheimer’s is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that affects 50 million people worldwide. In the US, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. The disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the US, affecting more than 5 million Americans. Not only does the disease affect the patient, but also caregivers, including family, friends and care professionals. 60% of Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high; about 40% suffer from depression. As a result of the illness, Alzheimer’s patients experience difficulties with their memory, which interferes greatly with their day-to-day life. Unlike other chronic illnesses, Alzheimer’s disease prevalence is on the rise with 13 million Americans and 130 million globally projected to suffer from the disease by 2050. Recent estimates suggest that the illness has become the third leading cause of death in the US, behind cardiovascular disease and cancer. In the absence of a cure for the illness, developing solutions to help Alzheimer’s patients to live better daily life is increasingly pressing.
Timeless' impact is significant.
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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
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OVERWHELMING FEEDBACK
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WORLDWIDE PRESS COVERAGE
Over the last 18 months, Timeless has received worldwide press coverage and recognitions.
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And has been interviewed and/or covered by:
BBC World Service
http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-37518910
Tech50+
https://www.tech50plus.com/alzheimers-app-developer-emma-yang/
https://www.tech50plus.com/meet-the-12-year-old...
Mic
https://www.facebook.com/MicMedia/videos/123084...
Senior Planet
http://seniorplanet.org/the-first-app-for-alzhe...
Kairos
https://www.kairos.com/blog/developer-discussio...
Next Avenue
http://www.nextavenue.org/12-year-old-develops-...
Star 2 (Malaysia)
http://www.star2.com/people/2016/09/19/this-12-...
El Mundo (Spain)
http://www.elmundo.es/salud/2016/09/20/57d924c5...
Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth
http://cty.jhu.edu/about/awesome-ctyers/ctyer-s...
The Longevity Network
https://www.longevitynetwork.org/exclusive/entr...
Good News Network
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/12-year-old-mad...
iAdvance Senior Care
https://www.iadvanceseniorcare.com/news-item/me...
Sincerely Hueman Podcast
https://sincerelyhueman.com/episodes/timeless
Patient Innovation Platform
https://patient-innovation.com/post/1551
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Other Ways You Can Help
Besides contributing, there are other ways you can help:
- Help us get the word out and create awareness for the campaign
- Use Indiegogo share tools to promote the campaigns on your social media channels
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