Application Types. Three general types of applications suitable to support communication
emerged: applications that (1) allow people to virtually visit places they cannot
visit anymore (such as going to the opera, a museum, the old town), (2) use biographic
content and storytelling as a basis for communication (as the book, or the Reminiscence
Map), and (3) stimulate the senses to trigger reminiscence and reactions (as the
teddy or Icho). The first type would be suited best for people with limited mobility to
allow them to keep memories of familiar places and activities alive that could then be
communicated to others. Storytelling about the past was identified as a major activity
older people engage in, when new experiences are limited. Therefore, using content
that triggers stories about the past by showing old videos or photos is useful for
providing a basis in the communication, especially in the communication between
young and old. As verbal communication plays a major role, these applications would
be suited only for early stage dementia. For the later stages the role of emotional triggers
was considered more important. The teddy was a good example of this. We observed
that people, who did not communicate verbally, still sang along with the teddy’s
music. In addition, a care manager mentioned that also the soft fur, the familiar
looks of the teddy (from the 30s) and the shape probably reminded the person of familiar
things from the past, like their own stuffed animals, or even holding a baby. In
one discussion, an expert called it the “emotional memory” and said that sensory input
often directly triggers memories without people undergoing a cognitive process to
understand them. This was also a topic in the focus group on non-verbal communication
where the possibility of adding olfactory input to the book (e.g. paper producing
smell when being rubbed) came up to trigger emotional memories.