‘Digital Therapeutics’: A New Way to Treat People with Dementia

About a decade ago, Michael Potteiger and his sister, Nacole, decided to teach their 85-year-old grandmother how to use an iPad. Not only did their Gram learn how, but she is still an active iPad user and loves seeing her grand (and great) grandchildren on FaceTime. Inspired by “Gram the Great,” Michael and Nacole founded Generation Connect, a cutting-edge firm that integrates health care with technology to help people with dementia, their families and their caregiving team through “digital therapeutics”—the use of technology as a tool to implement effective non-drug therapy treatments. In today’s episode, as part of National Family Caregivers Month, we talk with Michael and Robin Lombardo, Generation Connect’s director of business development, about their commitment to senior care and to developing new tools for the caregiving community. Michael has spent his entire career working in technology consulting, and today he continues to work closely with seniors, their families, and care organizations to better understand how technology can help support care teams. Robin, a geriatric and dementia specialist, is a veteran of the senior care field, serving in leadership positions in various healthcare settings and at nationally recognized nonprofits for people with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. Having exclusively worked with older adults, it is her passion to foster joy in their lives. Together, Michael and Robin will explain how Generation Connect provides a system of mobile apps, tablets, digital engagement and reporting features to help home care providers improve well-being and enhance caregiver relationships through personalized therapeutic routines and rituals. And while they believe that technology can greatly enhance the caregiving experience, technologists, too, have much to learn from the caregiving community. Thus, research remains a central component to Generation Connect’s mission, and Michael and Robin will describe their ongoing research and key findings from studies around the country—and their views on how technology will profoundly affect the future of health care.