Dementia hackathon to create innovative solutions for dementia care and management
Toronto (ON) September 10, 2014 (PRWEB) September 10, 2014 -- The Alzheimer Society of Ontario is excited to be part of a novel effort to develop assistive technology for people with dementia. From 12-14 September, technological innovators will convene at the Toronto dementia hackathon to tackle the most pressing challenges faced by caregivers and people with dementia, and invent… on the spot… hardware and software solutions. To inform the efforts of the designers and developers, Alzheimer Society of Ontario staff will be providing mentorship throughout the event as well as helping to assemble a panel of people with lived experience and medical professionals to help ensure tangible solutions reflect real-life challenges.
Hackathons are programming marathons where teams of developers design prototypes of software platforms to address social and economic challenges. DementiaHack is a 3-day event held simultaneously in Toronto (ON) and London (UK) that will focus on producing innovative software solutions that will enable people living with dementia and their care partners to better manage the disease and achieve a higher quality of life. A transatlantic panel of experts will judge the programming teams, and the winning team will go on a business roadshow to demonstrate their creation at healthcare innovation conferences in the UK and Canada.
The public is invited to attend the event hosted at the Digital Media Zone at Ryerson University in Toronto: 10 Dundas St East, 6th Floor, Toronto, Ontario. Click here http://www.eventbrite.com/e/dementiahack-toronto-by-the-british-govt-hackernest-tickets-12349265987 to obtain tickets.
The schedule includes
• Friday – Articulation of challenges. What people with dementia struggle with and how can technology assist them?
• Saturday – Hacking
• Sunday – Judging of projects
“We offer our best caffeine-fuelled encouragements to the designers and developers who are committed to providing the most innovative, person-centered solutions in helping enhance the dementia journey,” says David Harvey, Chief Public Policy and Program Initiatives Officer at the Alzheimer Society of Ontario. “They are offering new hope for the future, and we are very excited to see what comes out of this intense 3-day session.”
This event follows the G8 dementia summit in 2013, hosted by the UK, where countries across the globe promised to stimulate investment and innovation in the field of dementia research and action. This is a joint initiative of the British Consulate-General, the UK Science and Innovation Network and is being run by HackerNest in Toronto, and by Data Science London in the UK.
-30-
About the Alzheimer Society of Ontario
The Alzheimer Society of Ontario and its network of local Societies across the province offer Help for Today through programs and services for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and Hope for Tomorrow…by funding research to find the cause and the cure. http://www.alzheimerontario.ca
Pascale Guillotte, Alzheimer Society of Ontario, http://www.alzheimer.ca/on, +1 416-847-8922, [email protected]
Share this article