Title	MY CARER
Brand	ALZHEIMER'S SOCIETY
Product/Service	ALZHEIMER'S SOCIETY
Category	A06. Data-technology
Entrant	MRM//McCANN Frankfurt, GERMANY
Idea Creation	McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation 2	MRM//McCANN Frankfurt, GERMANY
Production	SKILLS.APP London, UNITED KINGDOM

Name	Company	Position
Adrian Botan	MCCANN Europe	Global Chief Creative Officer
Jon Carney	MCCANN Europe	Chief Digital Officer
Roy Cohen	MCCANN Europe	Global Creative Director
Mike Cooper	Mccann Europe	Digital Director
Hetu Negri	MCCANN Europe	Senior Creative
Juan Peirano	MCCANN Europe	Senior Art Director
Cedrine Streit	MCCANN Europe	Digital Strategist
Mark Hollering	MRM//McCANN, Frankfurt	Director Creative Technology
Gorgie Rechner	McCann London	Business Director
Mel Caplan	McCann London	Account Manager
Robert Doubal	McCann London	Chief Creative Officer, McCann UK
Laurence Thomson	McCann London	Chief Creative Officer, McCann UK
Arend Koopmans	Skilled.app	Lead developer, Skilled
Jetse Koopmans	Skilled.app	Lead developer
Hasher Marouf	Skilled.app	Lead UX design
Michael Malinsky	Skilled.app	Lead Architecture

Why is this work relevant for Creative Data?

My Carer is the result of data collected from hundreds of hours of research with the Alzheimer’s Society. We started with focus and testing groups, involving only people living with dementia in order to provide a genuine solution for their real needs, to help them live a better and independent life. Moreover, the skill enables Alzheimer’s Society to collect data from patients directly, which will be used to support further researches.

Background

There are 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, rising to 1 million by 2025. For those in the early stages of the disease, staying independent is paramount. A full-time carer could be a solution, but it’s not affordable for the majority of people.

Describe the Creative idea / data solution (20% of vote)

The skill helps people living with early-stage dementia to follow their daily routine and retain their independence. Its function not only reminds them what to do but also guides them, step-by-step, until they’ve accomplished their daily tasks. From reminding them on how to take the medication, to how to prepare their lunch. The skill asks them if they’ve completed their task, and if not, it will remind them to do it once and again 15 minutes later, until the task is finished. If a patient doesn’t reply to the skill, a notification will be sent to a relative.

Describe the data driven strategy (30% of vote)

By looking at previous research by Alzheimer’s Society and interviewing many people living with dementia, we discovered that those who are living in the early stages of dementia want to stay independent. “Because Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia can make it difficult to learn new things; using established, consistent routines can be calming and reassuring, for both the person with dementia and those around her” *. This is the reason we decided to put routines at the heart of our skill. During the development process, we’ve been working closely with people living with dementia and had many rounds of focus and test groups to adjust our product specific to their needs. The skill has become flexible enough to help different patients, in different situations, with their own personal needs. * https://www.verywellhealth.com/using-routines-in-dementia-97625

Describe the creative use of data, or how the data enhanced the creative output (30% of vote)

Through the app/website, the carer or even the person living with dementia can customize a whole routine with instructions step by step. At the time scheduled, Alexa sends a voice notification to let the patient know there’s a new task to do. The skill supports the person with interactive guidance and verifies that each step is done until the task is completed. When using an Echo Show, the user can even add images of items and locations to make the steps even clearer. In case the patient hasn’t replied to the skill or finished the task, My Carer will send a notification to a relative or a caregiver to let them take action about. The skill supports customizable tasks such as when to take medication, guiding on how to prepare meals, gathering items in preparation for appointments, music therapy sessions and initiating calls to loved ones.

List the data driven results (20% of vote)

With over 1000 users in the first week of launch, 85% active users and tens of thousands of hours of interaction, My Carer is the most affordable and most accessible digital tool for people living with dementia.