What Researchers at Toronto University are doing for Alzheimer's Disease research

Main Category: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 05 Sep 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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-- Alex Mihailidis, a professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto, has developed a technology called COACH, which directs people with Alzheimer's through the task of washing their hands. He is refining the technology to personalize it so it will be able to provide verbal and visual prompts that are tailored to the needs of each person. For more information see:
http://www.ot.utoronto.ca/iatsl/Projects/IntellEnviros.htm and the article "Safer Seniors" which appeared in U of T's Bulletin newspaper and on its web site:
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/040901-411.asp

It is about another project by Dr. Mihailidis, which will help detect when an elderly person has had a fall.

Contact: Alex Mihailidis, 416-946-8565, alex.mihailidis@utoronto.ca

-- Professors Ronald Baecker and Elsa Marziali will use animation and video to improve Internet-based tools that teach skills to caregivers of people with dementia. A video-conferencing system has been developed to allow a group of people who are caring for people with dementia to meet online through a web site which also provides links to information about diagnosis and treatment.

Recently-announced funding will be used to improve the web site with a video and power point library on various topics for caregivers, and to develop multimedia video histories of patients with dementia and test the value of these histories for the patients and their caregivers.

Contact:

Ronald Baecker, Bell University Laboratories Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at the U of T, 416-978-6983, rmb@kmdi.utoronto.ca

or

Elsa Marziali, Schipper Chair in Gerontological Social Work Research at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Director of the Katz Centre and Professor of Social Work, 519-599-6968 (Aug. 31 to Sept. 3) and 416-978-2500, ext. 2284 (after Sept. 8), elsa.marziali@utoronto.ca

Both projects were recently given funding by the Alzheimer's Association and Intel Corporation: See http://www.alz.org/Media/newsreleases/2004/083004_grants.asp

Janice Walls
News Services Officer
University of Toronto
416-978-5948
janice.walls@utoronto.ca