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Meeting the needs of people living in care homes during the coronavirus pandemic 

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Meeting the needs of people living in care homes during the coronavirus pandemic 

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Coronavirus disease ( also known as COVID-19) is dominating the news and sending people across the globe into panic. Of course, it was only a matter of time before cybercriminals would find ways to take advantage of this global crisis. As if the prospect of the virus isn't bad enough, several coronavirus scams have been doing the rounds online.

These include phishing schemes, fake treatment claims, and investment scams, among others. Organizations including the Better Business Bureau (BBB), World Health Organization (WHO), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued warnings to alert the general public to the circulation of various coronavirus scams.

Thankfully, if you know what to look out for, you can stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and avoid falling victim to their ruse. In this post, we explain more about the COVID-19 scams to watch out for and provide tips to help you stay safe online.

Here are some of the main coronavirus scams you may come across:

Fake treatments

Although some people claim that there is overreaction regarding the severity of COVID-19, let's face it, it's a dangerous virus. As such, plenty of people are frantically searching for preventative treatments and cures.

And when there's demand, there's supply. New websites and ads popped up, claiming to offer products that can prevent or cure coronavirus. In addition, many existing companies are starting to flaunt coronavirus claims around their products.

For example, proponents of Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS) have long claimed it can cure everything from HIV to autism, even though the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued multiple warnings to the public not to consume it. However, this solution can still be found for sale on multiple websites.

Claims circulated saying this chlorine dioxide solution-essentially a type of bleach-can help prevent and cure coronavirus. The FDA specifically states in its COVID-19 FAQ page that this is not the case.

Elsewhere, at least seven companies have been issued FDA warnings to stop claiming their products have benefits in relation to COVID-19. These include an aromatherapy business, a producer of silver drinks, and a holistic clinic.

It's not just treatments that companies are selling. Some are making grand claims about disinfectants too. It's true that some home disinfectant products can help in the fight against the spread of the virus. One group in China knowingly marketed a disinfectant under false claims.

For information about coronavirus symptoms, testing, and treatment, you should consult a healthcare professional or a reputable website such as those run by the WHO, CDC, FDA, or your government's health department.

It's worth noting that this isn't the first time scammers have taken advantage of a global health crisis to peddle questionable wares. Outbreaks of Zika virus, Ebola, and SARS all prompted the FTC and FDA to send warning letters to various companies.

Masks and other equipment

As you've probably heard, sales of protective masks have gone through the roof, with many companies struggling to meet demand. Again, when there's high demand, crooks are standing ready to make a quick buck.

Other items that may be for sale include protective gloves and coronavirus testing kits. The latter are not commercially available, so anyone claiming to sell them is definitely trying to scam you. For example, below is a Russian site (coronavirustest.ru) claiming to sell "the best and fastest virus test" that "will determine if there is a virus in the blood" in just five minutes.

There are several schemes that could play out when it comes to purchasing coronavirus-related products online:

Non-delivery: There's a chance that you'll simply never see these items after payment, as the seller will accept payment and not ship the product. A tell-tale sign of this scam is if you see in-demand items at a very low price, designed to lure in as many people as possible.

Extortionate prices: In other cases, sellers might be jacking up prices on products they know are in high demand. You may see extortionate prices for some items, including masks selling for up to $1,000. One buyer in the UK claimed to have lost £15,000 trying to purchase masks.

False claims: You might receive a product that doesn't live up to claims. For example, with the testing kit above, if you do actually receive a physical product, it's probably not going to work as promoted. Elsewhere, standards agencies have been quick to crack down on mask claims. For example, the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) challenged Novads OU regarding claims made in several mask advertisements.

Defective products: Similarly, you may receive a low-quality or defective product. Although it's real and seemingly fairly priced, it could be expired, damaged, or even used. What's more, the entities selling these types of goods are unlikely to be offering or honoring return policies.

Stolen personal information: When you're purchasing directly from an e-commerce site, it's tough to know where your information is going. Not only could these sites take your money, but they might also steal your personal and banking information for use in other crimes such as credit card fraud and identity theft.

Some platforms are taking steps to prevent these scams taking place. For example, eBay has blocked all new listings for healthcare masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes, and is removing some existing ones. That said, a quick search for face masks on the site still delivered over 1,500 results.

Amazon has pulled over a million coronavirus-related products and Facebook has put a temporary halt to ads for face masks. Google is the latest company to follow suit. What's more, governments are starting to take a stance against mask resellers, with Japan promising fines of up to 1 million yen ($9,565) or a year in prison.

Sellers of related products should beware too as they might also be the target of scams. In a cancelled payment scam, a buyer will send payment only to cancel it once the product has shipped, leaving the seller out of pocket. Other scammers will purchase goods for resale using a stolen credit card information. This could potentially leave the seller on the hook for the money.

Phishing emails and texts

Another way scammers are leveraging the coronavirus panic is to pilfer information from unsuspecting victims. Phishing emails, as well as phishing voicemails and text messages (known as vishing and smishing, respectively), are intended to trick recipients into handing over private information.

WHO recently issued the following warning regarding phishing emails:

"Criminals are disguising themselves as WHO to steal money or sensitive information. If you are contacted by a person or organization that appears to be from WHO, verify their authenticity before responding."

One email purporting to come from WHO encouraged recipients to click on a button link to find out about safety measures for preventing the spread of coronavirus. The link takes you to a phishing site which prompts you to enter a username and password. Phishing sites are designed to look like legitimate sites, but actually steal your information. Another phishing email, purporting to be from the CDC, encourages people to click a link to see a list of coronavirus cases in their area.

Note that you might come across multi channel attacks where a fraudster will send both an email and a text message or phone call, to make the ruse seem more believable. Data breaches often result in the leak of a phone number paired with an email, which is how cybercriminals get this information in the first place.

According to CheckPoint, 4,000 coronavirus-related domains have been registered since January. Three percent of these are malicious, and a further five percent are deemed suspicious. This means that domains linked to coronavirus are 50 percent more likely to be malicious compared to other domains registered within that period.

Malware

Not all malicious emails are phishing for information, and other messages might be designed to install malware on the user's device. A seemingly harmless email could ask you to click a link or attachment, for example, for more information about the outbreak.

When you click the malicious link or attachment, malware is downloaded and executed on your device. One example is a campaign that uses the coronavirus outbreak to spread the popular trojan Emotet via an email attachment. This is also a common method used for installing spyware and ransomware.

Charity schemes

In any global crisis, people tend to look for ways to help their fellow humans financially. Fraudsters prey on their kindness and create fake GoFundMe pages and other charity-based schemes.

For example, you might see people asking for help with repatriation expenses, medical bills, and quarantine-related costs. You may also see fake charities purporting to help with everything from feeding children to helping animals in the wake of the virus.

These scams are often promoted through social media, but may come through email, possibly even from a friend who has fallen for the scam.

Note that there are still many worthy causes to donate to at this time, including many genuine GoFundMe and similar pages, but you should always proceed with caution. In addition, lots of reputable charities are ramping up efforts to help those in need in the midst of this crisis and need your help. Just be sure to do some research before sending funds.

Investment scams

With the markets taking a massive hit, people are understandably worried about protecting their investments. Enter scammers with the solution to all your problems. In February, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a warning to the public to be on the lookout for coronavirus-related investment scams.

One type of scheme is tied to products and services that may be helpful in coronavirus prevention, detection, or treatment. Scammers claim that stocks of publicly-traded companies providing these products or services will increase dramatically. They persuade people to purchase these stocks with promises of future gains.

Then, once the stock price has increased (due to mass interest), the scammers sell their stock at the inflated price. The stock price plummets, leaving duped investors with worthless stocks. This is known as a "pump-and-dump" scheme.

General misinformation

While some fake news can be seemingly harmless, in many cases, it can have a real impact on people's lives. It can even prove fatal as was revealed in Iran where more than 40 people have died after consuming bootleg alcohol, believing it would cure the coronavirus.

Misinformation may be used for various reasons, including to ramp up social media engagement or drive website traffic, but it can have serious consequences. For example, overstating the number of coronavirus cases in a particular area could send nearby residents into a frenzy.

Fake news about the coronavirus outbreak may also be used to sway public opinion about the government, political parties, and individual politicians. It can have a significant and lasting impact on the political climate of various countries.

In some cases, governments have been implicated in the spread of fake news. For example, the US has accused Russia of spreading disinformation regarding the coronavirus. Officials claimed to have uncovered a network of thousands of social media accounts spreading conspiracy theories that essentially blame the US for the outbreak.

Offline impersonation scams

Although this article is focused on online scams, it's worth mentioning that police departments in New Jersey recently issued a warning about scammers going door to door posing as CDC officials.

It's unclear what intentions these imposters have, but it's worth putting the word out to friends and family, especially the elderly and vulnerable. The CDC is not deploying teams to go door to door, and you should not let these people into your homes.

Tips to help you avoid COVID-19 scams

Knowledge of these scams is the best defense. Note that scammers will continuously find ways to take advantage of people, so as the situation continues to unfold, you need to be on high alert for other types of schemes that might evolve. Here are our top tips for avoiding coronavirus scams:

1. Use common sense

Although this global crisis is inciting panic, it's important to keep a level head and think rationally. For a start, if something seems too good to be true, it likely is. If you're being offered "secret information" or an "exclusive deal" by a stranger, consider if this is legitimate.

It's also worth noting that friends and family members may not be educated about these schemes and could be more likely to make poor decisions when feeling scared or overwhelmed. It's especially important to check in with elderly friends and relatives. According to statistics, seniors are at high risk of developing serious symptoms due to the coronavirus. This makes it even more likely than usual that they'll be targeted with scams.

2. Learn to spot phishing emails and sites

Phishing emails are becoming more sophisticated, but there are still some common tell-tale signs that something's not right. First, look at the sender's email address and check that it looks real. Scammers will often register domains with slight misspellings to make an email address look legitimate.

Other common signs of a phishing email are poor spelling or grammar, and a sense of urgency in the tone. Charity scams in particular will often use high-pressure tactics to get you to hand over money quickly. If you have any doubt about the authenticity of an email, contact the company directly using a phone number or email address found via a web search.

Government agencies such as the WHO or CDC will never ask you to send money or banking information.

Never click attachments or links in an email that you don't fully trust. If you're unsure about where a link is sending you, you can hover over the anchor text to see the URL. If it doesn't match what you're expecting, don't click.

If you do end up clicking a link, there are ways to check if you've landed on a phishing site. Looking for a secure site (with HTTPS in the address and a padlock symbol in the address bar) can help, although many phishing sites now have this feature. Other tell-tale signs of a phishing site are outdated copyright information, poor grammar, and lack of an "about" page and contact information.

3. Only purchase from trusted sites

If you do need to stock up on supplies, be it medication or other household goods, make sure you're purchasing from reputable sites. As mentioned, looking for HTTPS sites can help, but it's not foolproof. Ideally, stick to well-known companies and avoid third-party sellers.

When you make any purchase online, it's better to use a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards usually offer more protection and give you a better chance of getting your money back if you are scammed.

4. Use antivirus software

While antivirus software won't help in the social engineering element of a scam, it can help protect you to some extent. A good antivirus should be able to detect and block known threats, for example, to prevent malware from being downloaded onto your device.

If malware does find its way through initial defenses, antivirus software might be able to detect it so you can remove it as soon as possible.

5. Visit reputable sites for coronavirus information

The problem with getting all of your news from your social media newsfeeds is it's often difficult to tell where it's really coming from. Even some reputable news sites pick up on stories with misinformation.

For reliable coronavirus news, you're best off sticking with sites like those run by the WHO and CDC. These may not be updated as regularly as your favorite tabloid news site, but the information will likely be more reliable.

While severity of the COVID-19 outbreak will diminish eventually, it looks set to be around long enough for many more scams to take place. In general, these types of schemes are under-reported. Often, people assume that no one will be able to help them, or they feel embarrassed about falling for a scam.

The spread of coronavirus could compound both of these factors. Due to the widespread panic we're seeing, people are likely to fall for more obvious scams than usual. Plus, with the current global crisis, they might feel that their seemingly small misfortune is too insignificant to report.

However, if you've fallen victim to a scam or suspect scam-related activity, it's prudent to report it as soon as possible. If you've lost money, no matter how hopeless it seems, there's a chance you could be reimbursed. Perhaps more importantly, it's important to get the word out to family, friends, and the general public to minimize the number of people who become victims.

We go into detail about how to report a scam in a separate post, but here's a brief list of where to turn depending on which country you're in. Note that you should also inform your local law enforcement agency of any scams.

US

UK

Canada

Australia

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Avoid coronavirus scams: What you need to know

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Coronavirus disease ( also known as COVID-19) is dominating the news and sending people across the globe into panic. Of course, it was only a matter of time before cybercriminals would find ways to take advantage of this global crisis. As if the prospect of the virus isn't bad enough, several coronavirus scams have been doing the rounds online.

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360° VR  Environments for Health Care & Well-being in Wales

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How long it would take a computer to crack your password?

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Activities co-ordinators are becoming a regular feature in residential care home staff teams.

Whether a dedicated person who has been employed to ensure residents can lead satisfying and stimulating lives, or a voluntary role taken up by a member of support staff, the importance of older people's social health is being taken seriously by care home owners.

The National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People (NAPA) has described that an essential element for any successful activity is to get to know the individual resident, in their activity provision for benchmarking good practise in care homes.

NAPA promotes the importance of gaining knowledge about a resident's individual life stories, experiences, and interests. As well as this, being aware of older people's current level of physical, cognitive and psychological ability will result in the selection of personally meaningful activities that will most engage that person.

Professor Martin Green of English Community Care Association said: "Activity coordinators play a central role in delivering purposeful activities that stimulate residents and improve their wellbeing. The impact of purposeful activity is important for all residents and particularly for those people living with dementia.

"A good activity coordinator is a vital resource for any provider who is committed to delivering a good quality of life to their residents."

Making sure a person has the correct 'fit' with activities is the responsibility of the activity coordinator. This includes creating activities that will be within a person's achievable capabilities, but not too simple.

Alison Teader is the arts and education coordinator for the Central and Cecil Care Group and described the importance of activity coordinators role: "One key aspect of coordinating activities is to ensure there is variety in the programme of daily events. We gain lots of information about what type of things residents might be interested during resident meetings, informal chats and through their relatives, at relative meetings."

"Relatives can offer suggestions of stimulus which will interest their loved ones, as it is important to think about the specific interests of the individual residents living in the care home. Some older people like to take part because it is a social event; others prefer more specialist events which they have a keen interest in.

Activities coordinators are important for care homes to be able to achieve the dementia quality standard for social care set by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Last month's standard 'Supporting People with Dementia to Live Well with Dementia' highlights that care providers for people with dementia need to allow residents to choose to take part in activities during the day, which match their interests and will enable them to maintain and improve their quality of life.

Providing the opportunity for residents to take part in activities is not only an essential part of current Government policy, it is an essential need for the person being cared for, irrespective of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religious needs.

NAPA has found that care givers who enable residents to continue to participate in activities will help to reduce problems such as depression, dependency and people at risk of falls.

Care home residents are three times more likely to have a major fall than community-living older people. Forty per cent of care home admissions follow a previous fall, and with activities increasing mobility, NAPA advise homes to complete comprehensive risk assessments to prevent falls. However they argue that this should not be at the expense of limiting the individual's level of independence or ability to participate in activities.

Louise Lakey, Alzheimer's Society policy manager, said: "Eighty per cent of people in care homes have dementia and there continues to be a deep seated pessimism about the quality of life for a person with the condition living in a care home can have. Yet people shouldn't be settling for less. Truly person-centred care can be achieved, if meaningful activities are in place that reflect the pastimes, hobbies and preferences of residents.

"Supporting people with dementia to be occupied, stimulated and engaged is the best way to maintain their quality of life and can also have many benefits such as improving mood and reducing agitation."

Ms Teader of Central and Cecil care group explained how the activities coordinator role is executed throughout their care homes.

She said: "Although we are currently having on-going discussions about the move to creating a paid role in the future, at present we don't have any paid activity coordinators.

"Instead we have one staff member from each care home who volunteers to take on the role of activities coordinator alongside their daily roles as it is something that they have a keen interest in.

"We give these volunteers training and guidance on ways to engage residents with their activities, and we have regular meetings which activity coordinators are invited to from across all Central & Cecil's homes and schemes to share good practice and discuss their experience and challenges of the role.

"Aside from these designated activity volunteers, there is an expectation at Central & Cecil for all staff members to take an active interest in providing activities for residents, as it is part of the role of providing care.

"While we understand that the main challenge facing carers is making time to plan and organise events when they have an already busy schedule, we also think that their specialist knowledge and training in caring for older people can be useful when planning appropriate events. "We are introducing smaller reading and poetry groups to appeal to residents who are interested in this type of activity.

"The gardening project at Central & Cecil's care home, Cecil Court in Kew engaged with both keen gardeners and people interested in art, and was a great success. As a result, care staff have started running their own gardening sessions which have proved very popular and the group are planning to hold a summer exhibition of garden themed art-work in the home."

The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education describe the benefits of 'informal learning' in care home settings, saying that getting a resident out of their rooms and joining in with activities can give them greater levels of confidence, improve their memory and dexterity, with further benefits including an improved appetite.

Informal learning encapsulates the possibilities for older people, to take part in activities which improves the lives and well-being of those who participate, even though not leading to formal qualifications.

Activity coordinators need to have a good knowledge of illnesses that are affecting their residents, as well as being sensitive to the individual needs of older people, to give service users the best quality of life possible.

Activities coordinators are becoming more apparent in care homes, and it is an essential role that will be needed in care more as the population grows older, to provide stimulation and a quality of life for residents.

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activities co-ordinators are becoming an ever more important role for care homes

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Activities co-ordinators are becoming an ever more important role for care homes

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Activities co-ordinators are becoming a regular feature in residential care home staff teams. Whether a dedicated person who has been employed to ensure residents can lead satisfying and stimulating lives, or a voluntary role taken up by a member of support staff, the importance of older people's social health is being taken seriously by care home owners.

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If you didn't get chance to fill out a feedback during your training sessions you can find it below

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How new technology could transform elder care

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Social entrepreneurs are developing apps and services that make care more personalised and efficient, writes Katie Mountain

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I recently gave the opening address to a conference jointly hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Age UK. The title of the conference was ' Designing cost-effective care for older people: how technology can make a difference' and I was asked to give ' An on-the-ground perspective on the role of technology in the care of older people'.

Keeping people out of hospitals and supporting them so that they can live safely and comfortably at home are challenges that the government are trying to address, and technology and engineering can provide some of the solutions.

There are two main forms of assistive-living technology: telecare and telehealth. Teleheath services are aimed at helping people manage their long term health conditions in their own home. (Conditions include - diabetes, heart failure and/ or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Teleceare services are aimed at vulnerable people who need the support of Social Care or Health Services to keep living on their own. For example those with physical disabilities, the frail and elderly or those suffering from dementia or epilepsy.

Unfortunately, to date take up has been rather slow; there are only around 5,000 telehealth users and only 1.5m pieces of telecare in use today.

My talk focused on how we can increase the use of technology in a way that enhances people's lives. This drew in part from a project we are involved in funded by the Technology and Strategy Board titled: COBALT: Challenging Obstacles and Barriers to Assisted Living Technologies. We are about half-way through this project and have spoken to many older people. What we have seen so far is that, contrary to the common assumption that technology has passed older people by and that they fear it or are dubious about the value in terms of improving their lives, older people do embrace technology on their own terms: television ownership, for example, is virtually 100%.

The problem is that assistive-living technology tends to be presented and provided differently to other forms of technology, like a microwave or a TV. Instead they need to be focused on the person and designed to fit into everyday life, rather than symbolise frailty or decline.

If uptake is to change designers, developers, engineers and purchasers (both private and public) need to rethink how the technology is created and presented. The creation of personal budgets in social care and the development of these in health mean purchasing of assisted-living technology will be more consumer driven in the future. Designers of this type of technology will have to place greater emphasis on what the consumer wants.

The conference suggested that those responsible for developing these technologies are responding to these considerations and technology that actually improves and enhances people's lives, as well as being desirable is likely to dramatically increase in the near future.
Find out more about Age UK's Engage Business network, which helps businesses better serve the needs of older people Find out more about our public policy work on consumer issues

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I recently gave the opening address to a conference jointly hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Age UK. The title of the conference was 'Designing cost-effective care for older people: how technology can make a difference' and I was asked to give 'An on-the-ground perspective on the role of technology in the care...

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SCIE Research briefing 28: Assistive technology and older people

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Digital Communities Wales is a Welsh Government project which is delivered by the Wales Co-operative CentreMae Cymunedau Digidol Cymru yn brosiect Llywodraeth Cymru, a gyflawnir gan Ganolfan Cydweithredol Cymru.To read our privacy notice for event attendees, please visit http://www.digitalcommunities.gov.wales/privacy-notice/

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Here is a link to our twitter account, we will release details of webinars here!

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7% of adults in Wales are not online

They're missing out on opportunities to save money, find work, learn skills and access important services. Many of them are already coping with issues such as loneliness, poverty or unemployment - issues which are being made worse by not being online.

Digital Communities Wales: Digital Confidence, Health and Well-being supports organisations that are working with digitally excluded people. We're helping them deliver digital inclusion activities so they can do it well and make a bigger impact.

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They're missing out on opportunities to save money, find work, learn skills and access important services. Many of them are already coping with issues such as loneliness, poverty or unemployment - issues which are being made worse by not being online. Digital Communities Wales: Digital Confidence, Health and Well-being supports organisations that are working with digitally excluded people.

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Smart applications of technology could offer a lifeline for older people at risk of social isolation and loneliness, according to new research from Appello.
New findings from the provider of technology enabled care services, in collaboration with Good Things Foundation, the UK's leading digital inclusion charity, revealed that 7% of over 75 year olds don't see anyone and 7% don't speak to anyone in an average week.

Meanwhile, more than a quarter see two or less people in a week and 45% speak to two or less people and a third of people over 75-years-old admit to feeling lonely, and 30% feel socially isolated, occasionally or often.

Over half (56%) of older people welcome new technology if it improves their quality of life and the same number agrees that "technology can aid communication and help close the physical gap between distant family and friends," according to Appello.

While a landline phone remains the most commonly used form of communications technology for over 75-year-olds (93%), personal safety alarms, installed in many supported or assisted living environments, are the second most popular - cited by one third of older people surveyed.

Tim Barclay, CEO of Appello, commented: "While not a substitute for human interaction, technology has the potential to connect the unconnected, helping reduce the risk of social isolation and loneliness. Our survey challenges the common misconception that older people don't like or want technology - they absolutely do when it benefits their wellbeing and with the right support in place.

"In the future, smart devices and apps that support mobility, social inclusion and independence in supported housing could become as indispensable as personal alarms, pull cords and door entry systems are today - particularly as we see the switchover from analogue to digital."

Janet Morrison, chair of the Campaign to End Loneliness, added: "Many people assume that if you live in supported housing, housing association or care homes you won't be lonely - and that's clearly not true!

"We know that social interaction is limited because of barriers created by physical disability and, or, cognitive impairment among residents but we should also acknowledge that additional barriers are created by risk adverse housing providers and, or, a failure to recognise the importance of maintaining social connections for older people."

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Technology could quash elderly loneliness, new data suggests

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Smart applications of technology could offer a lifeline for older people at risk of social isolation and loneliness, according to new research from Appello. New findings from the provider of technology enabled care services, in collaboration with Good Things Foundation, the UK's leading digital inclusion charity, revealed that 7% of over 75 year olds don't see anyone and 7% don't speak to anyone in an average week.

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Ever get chills listening to a particularly moving piece of music? You can thank the salience network of the brain for that emotional joint. Surprisingly, this region also remains an island of remembrance that is spared from the ravages of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the University of Utah Health are looking to this region of the brain to develop music-based treatments to help alleviate anxiety in patients with dementia. Their research will appear in the April online issue of The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease.

"People with dementia are confronted by a world that is unfamiliar to them, which causes disorientation and anxiety" said Jeff Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in Radiology at U of U Health and contributing author on the study. "We believe music will tap into the salience network of the brain that is still relatively functioning."

Previous work demonstrated the effect of a personalized music program on mood for dementia patients. This study set out to examine a mechanism that activates the attentional network in the salience region of the brain. The results offer a new way to approach anxiety, depression and agitation in patients with dementia. Activation of neighboring regions of the brain may also offer opportunities to delay the continued decline caused by the disease.

For three weeks, the researchers helped participants select meaningful songs and trained the patient and caregiver on how to use a portable media player loaded with the self-selected collection of music.

"When you put headphones on dementia patients and play familiar music, they come alive," said Jace King, a graduate student in the Brain Network Lab and first author on the paper. "Music is like an anchor, grounding the patient back in reality."

Using a functional MRI, the researchers scanned the patients to image the regions of the brain that lit up when they listened to 20-second clips of music versus silence. The researchers played eight clips of music from the patient's music collection, eight clips of the same music played in reverse and eight blocks of silence. The researchers compared the images from each scan.

The researchers found that music activates the brain, causing whole regions to communicate. By listening to the personal soundtrack, the visual network, the salience network, the executive network and the cerebellar and corticocerebellar network pairs all showed significantly higher functional connectivity.

"This is objective evidence from brain imaging that shows personally meaningful music is an alternative route for communicating with patients who have Alzheimer's disease," said Norman Foster, M.D., Director of the Center for Alzheimer's Care at U of U Health and senior author on the paper. "Language and visual memory pathways are damaged early as the disease progresses, but personalized music programs can activate the brain, especially for patients who are losing contact with their environment."

However, these results are by no means conclusive. The researchers note the small sample size (17 participants) for this study. In addition, the study only included a single imaging session for each patient. It is remains unclear whether the effects identified in this study persist beyond a brief period of stimulation or whether other areas of memory or mood are enhanced by changes in neural activation and connectivity for the long term.

"In our society, the diagnoses of dementia are snowballing and are taxing resources to the max," Anderson said. "No one says playing music will be a cure for Alzheimer's disease, but it might make the symptoms more manageable, decrease the cost of care and improve a patient's quality of life."

###

K.G. Jones, M. Rollins, K. Macnamee, C. Moffit, S.R. Naidu, E. Garcia-Leavitt, R.K. Gurgel, J. Amaro and K.R. Breitenbach at U of U Health and University of Utah, E. Goldberg from the Jewish Family Services of Utah, J.M. Watson from University of Colorado and M.A. Ferguson from Massachusetts General Hospital also contributed to this project. This work received support from A. Scott Anderson and the American Otological Society.

University of Utah Health is the state's only academic health care system, providing leading-edge and compassionate medicine for a referral area that encompasses 10% of the U.S., including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and much of Nevada. A hub for health sciences research and education in the region, U of U Health touts a $291 million research enterprise and trains the majority of Utah's physicians and more than 1,250 health care providers at its Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy and Health. With more than 20,000 employees, the system includes 12 community clinics and four hospitals -- University Hospital; University Neuropsychiatric Institute; Huntsman Cancer Hospital; and the University Orthopaedic Center. For eight straight years, U of U Health has ranked among the top 10 U.S. academic medical centers in the rigorous Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, including reaching No. 1 in 2010 and 2016.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Music activates regions of the brain spared by Alzheimer's disease

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Researchers at the University of Utah Health are looking to the salience network of the brain to develop music-based treatments to help alleviate anxiety in patients with dementia. Their research will appear in the April online issue of Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease.

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'I thought I was too late to join the world of computers, but even though I was starting at the very beginning, I got to grips with it much more quickly than I expected.' Starting to use a computer can feel like a visit to a foreign country - things look familiar but you can't speak the language.

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Family members of online daters are being urged to help protect their relatives from becoming a victim of romance fraud, as new figures show almost £92 million has been lost through dating scams this year alone.

Could you recognise a cloned company scam? Criminals are copying real websites to steal savings.

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Family members of online daters are being urged to help protect their relatives from becoming a victim of romance fraud, as new figures show almost £92 million has been lost through dating scams this year alone. Could you recognise a cloned company scam? Criminals are copying real websites to steal savings.

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Introduction

Technology has opened a new frontier in mental health support and data collection. Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are giving the public, doctors, and researchers new ways to access help, monitor progress, and increase understanding of mental wellbeing.

Mobile mental health support can be very simple but effective. For example, anyone with the ability to send a text message can contact a crisis center. New technology can also be packaged into an extremely sophisticated app for smartphones or tablets. Such apps might use the device's built-in sensors to collect information on a user's typical behavior patterns. If the app detects a change in behavior, it may provide a signal that help is needed before a crisis occurs. Some apps are stand-alone programs that promise to improve memory or thinking skills. Others help the user connect to a peer counselor or to a health care professional.

Excitement about the huge range of opportunities has led to a burst of app development. There are thousands of mental health apps available in iTunes and Android app stores, and the number is growing every year. However, this new technology frontier includes a lot of uncertainty. There is very little industry regulation and very little information on app effectiveness, which can lead consumers to wonder which apps they should trust.

Before focusing on the state of the science and where it may lead, it's important to look at the advantages and disadvantages of expanding mental health treatment and research into a mobile world.

The Pros and Cons of Mental Health Apps

Current Trends in App Development

Research via Smartphone?

A New Partnership: Clinicians and Engineers

Evaluating Apps

What is NIMH's Role in Mental Health Intervention Technology?

Join a Study

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Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Technology has opened a new frontier in mental health support and data collection. Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are giving the public, doctors, and researchers new ways to access help, monitor progress, and increase understanding of mental wellbeing. Mobile mental health support can be very simple but effective.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Most apps designed for mental health sufferers - including those endorsed by the NHS - are clinically unproven and potentially ineffective, a recent study has shown.

In research published in the journal Evidence Based Mental Health, a team at the University of Liverpool found that many mental health apps and online programmes lack "an underlying evidence base, a lack of scientific credibility and limited clinical effectiveness".

The study also suggests that many mental health apps can lead to over-reliance and anxiety around self-diagnosis.

Simon Leigh, co-author of the study, argues that apps should be "well-informed, scientifically credible, peer reviewed and evidence based". "It's a really, really big problem," Leigh told WIRED. "The rate at which apps come out is always going to outweigh the rate at which they can be evaluated. Evaluation takes time - you have to design a pilot study and a retrospective observational study, randomise patients - and these apps can be knocked up in a matter of days."

Mental health apps have grown in popularity at a time when psychological services have faced an increased demand and decreased resources. Referrals to community mental health teams and crisis services have increased by 15%, despite a loss of around 200 full time mental health doctors and 3600 nurses.

Read next

Mental health apps: the promise

Many patients, faced with waiting lists, have turned to alternative sources of support - such as apps. George Freeman, Minister for Life Sciences, has even launched a £650,000 fund for developing mental health apps, and a web-based mental health service is planned for London.

But this reliance on apps can be a double-edged sword. "If you're on a waiting list and you spend money on an app and then nothing happens it can make you feel like 'well, I've tried and nothing works'," Leigh said. "If you go through the process of downloading and using an app and there are no benefits, it can compound your anxiety about your mental health problems." "But apps that actually are good can play a really great role in terms of waiting lists. They can act as a triage for less serious mental health problems and can be the perfect remedy in some cases. Apps can be beneficial, but we need to ensure that with wider usage we also invest in further research to ensure that they're robust."

Jen Hyatt is CEO of Big White Wall, an online community for those experiencing mental health problems. She's passionate about what she calls the "transformative" role of mental health apps. "They can provide access to services from the comfort of the home. Many people find it hard to access services because of geography, because of mental ill health, because of physical disability. We've also found that, in the 50% of cases that do get to a GP, they're not able to guide mental health problems adequately."

Clinical trials

Despite the increase in demand for health apps, the NHS' own App Library has been dogged with controversy, with researchers recently discovering a potential data leak. The library will be closing down, although the closure is due to the government's work on a new endorsement model for health apps, not the data leak findings.

The four NHS apps found to be clinically effective were Big White Wall, Moodscope, a self-tracking and peer support network, Happyhealthy, a mindfulness app, and WorkGuru, an occupational stress-management programme.

Outside of NHS-endorsed apps, other mental health apps have also proved clinically effective. Sleepio, a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based app for sleep management, has been shown in several trials to help long term insomnia - one trial put efficacy at 75%. And Wizard, a brain training app developed at the University of Cambridge, was found to improve the memory of patients with schizophrenia.

Stephany Carolan is CEO at WorkGuru and is currently studying for a PhD in digital intervention engagement. She told WIRED that mental health apps and programmes allowed "broader access to psychiatric help" as well as "normalising" mental illness. But she stressed that people should be wary of apps that promise too much. "There are no quick fixes," she said. "If an app says you only need to log in for ten minutes, it's just not true. It just doesn't happen like that. Take mindfulness for example - there's a strong clinical basis for it, but the interpretation of that in many online programmes is wrong. Mindfulness is a philosophy, it's more than a daily ten minute meditation - but a lot of programmes have taken it out of context. It's important that people know how complex a lot of these ideas are."

"There are no quick fixes. If an app says you only need to log in for ten minutes, it's just not true. It just doesn't happen like that"
Stephany Carolan, WorkGuru

A more robust future?

Big White Wall and WorkGuru, among others, are keen to make sure that mental health apps are clinically sound and socially responsible - but many other apps fail to replicate this eye for detail. There are thousands of unverified mental health apps available for Apple and Android, encompassing mindfulness, CBT, mood tracking, peer support and more. So how can we make sure we're not being duped?

"There are a few simple steps you can take," Leigh told WIRED. "Systematic reviews have shown that apps that have involvement with clinicians are on average twice as effective, so if you go to the website of an app you're thinking of downloading and there's contact details for a mental health practitioner, it's one indication that the app is going to be clinically viable." "The most obvious thing really is to see if the apps are forthcoming with the information - it's easy to say "we can cure your depression!", but not so easy to show any proof of this. If an app gives patient numbers and statistics? It's not totally robust, but it's a good start.

"You have to have clinicians involved in developing of the app. And you really need to have a process for 'red flags'- you need to know what you're going to do if you're concerned about somebody's mental health if they come onto your site or app. You need to make sure people are encouraged to contact their GP, mental health professional or even the Samaritans if the app isn't working for them." "Ultimately, maybe we need to move to the stage where mental health apps are being validated by an external body, but it needs to be a transparent process - and of course it needs to involve users and members of the public

Jen Hyatt also ensures a similar process for Big White Wall. "I have no tolerance for developers who try to avoid taking responsibility for the safety of people online. We have a responsibility to our users - it's the only route to a good, rigorous resource." "We have support staff 24/7. We have data analytics, tests we use to screen for tests, and a clinical governance handbook that has protocols for issues like suicide ideation, self harm and other crises. They can be escalated to a clinical psychiatrist within two minutes."

And Google and Android should make prominent those apps that have this kind of strong basis. The whole industry has a responsibility to promise those that work."
This article was originally published in October 2015 and has been updated to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Most apps designed for mental health sufferers - including those endorsed by the NHS - are clinically unproven and potentially ineffective, a recent study has shown. In research published in the journal Evidence Based Mental Health, a team at the University of Liverpool found that many mental health apps and online programmes lack "an underlying evidence base, a lack of scientific credibility and limited clinical effectiveness".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This proof-of-concept study is important because it demonstrates that the memory game can help where drugs have so far failed
Barbara Sahakian

Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition that causes a range of psychological symptoms, ranging from changes in behaviour through to hallucinations and delusions. Psychotic symptoms are reasonably well treated by current medications; however, patients are still left with debilitating cognitive impairments, including in their memory, and so are frequently unable to return to university or work.

There are as yet no licensed pharmaceutical treatments to improve cognitive functions for people with schizophrenia. However, there is increasing evidence that computer-assisted training and rehabilitation can help people with schizophrenia overcome some of their symptoms, with better outcomes in daily functioning and their lives.

Schizophrenia is estimated to cost £13.1 billion per year in total in the UK, so even small improvements in cognitive functions could help patients make the transition to independent living and working and could therefore substantially reduce direct and indirect costs, besides improving the wellbeing and health of patients.

In a study published today in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, a team of researchers led by Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge describe how they developed and tested Wizard, an iPad game aimed at improving an individual's episodic memory. Episodic memory is the type of memory required when you have to remember where you parked your car in a multi-storey car park after going shopping for several hours or where you left your keys in home several hours ago, for example. It is one of the facets of cognitive functioning to be affected in patients with schizophrenia.

The game, Wizard, was the result of a nine-month collaboration between psychologists, neuroscientists, a professional game-developer and people with schizophrenia. It was intended to be fun, attention-grabbing, motivating and easy to understand, whilst at the same time improving the player's episodic memory. The memory task was woven into a narrative in which the player was allowed to choose their own character and name; the game rewarded progress with additional in-game activities to provide the user with a sense of progression independent of the cognitive training process.

The researchers assigned twenty-two participants, who had been given a diagnosis of schizophrenia, to either the cognitive training group or a control group at random. Participants in the training group played the memory game for a total of eight hours over a four-week period; participants in the control group continued their treatment as usual. At the end of the four weeks, the researchers tested all participants' episodic memory using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) PAL, as well as their level of enjoyment and motivation, and their score on the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, which doctors use to rate the social, occupational, and psychological functioning of adults.

Professor Sahakian and colleagues found that the patients who had played the memory game made significantly fewer errors and needed significantly fewer attempts to remember the location of different patterns in the CANTAB PAL test relative to the control group. In addition, patients in the cognitive training group saw an increase in their score on the GAF scale.

Participants in the cognitive training group indicated that they enjoyed the game and were motivated to continue playing across the eight hours of cognitive training. In fact, the researchers found that those who were most motivated also performed best at the game. This is important, as lack of motivation is another common facet of schizophrenia.

Professor Sahakian says: "We need a way of treating the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as problems with episodic memory, but slow progress is being made towards developing a drug treatment. So this proof-of-concept study is important because it demonstrates that the memory game can help where drugs have so far failed. Because the game is interesting, even those patients with a general lack of motivation are spurred on to continue the training."

Professor Peter Jones adds: "These are promising results and suggest that there may be the potential to use game apps to not only improve a patient's episodic memory, but also their functioning in activities of daily living. We will need to carry out further studies with larger sample sizes to confirm the current findings, but we hope that, used in conjunction with medication and current psychological therapies, this could help people with schizophrenia minimise the impact of their illness on everyday life."

It is not clear exactly how the apps also improved the patients' daily functioning, but the researchers suggest it may be because improvements in memory had a direct impact on global functions or that the cognitive training may have had an indirect impact on functionality by improving general motivation and restoring self-esteem. Or indeed, both these explanations may have played a role in terms of the impact of training on functional outcome.

In April 2015, Professor Sahakian and colleagues began a collaboration with the team behind the popular brain training app Peak to produce scientifically-tested cognitive training modules. The collaboration has resulted in the launch today of the Cambridge University & Peak Advanced Training Plan a memory game, available within Peak's iOS app, designed to train visual and episodic memory while promoting learning.

The training module is based on the Wizard memory game, developed by Professor Sahakian and colleague Tom Piercy at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. Rights to the Wizard game were licensed to Peak by Cambridge Enterprise, the University's commercialisation company.

"This new app will allow the Wizard memory game to become widely available, inexpensively. State-of-the-art neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, combined with the innovative approach at Peak, will help bring the games industry to a new level and promote the benefits of cognitive enhancement," says Professor Sahakian.
Reference
Sahakian, BJ et al.The impact of neuroscience on society: Cognitive enhancement in neuropsychiatric disorders and in healthy people. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B; 3 Aug 2015 Home page image: Brain Power by Allan Ajifo

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future therapeutics behavioural and clinical neuroscience institute (bcni)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
-department of psychiatry school of clinical medicine

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behavioural and clinical neuroscience institute (bcni)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Brain training' app may improve memory and daily functioning in schizophrenia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition that causes a range of psychological symptoms, ranging from changes in behaviour through to hallucinations and delusions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wearable Tech Expands Human Potential | Lauren Constantini | TEDxMileHigh

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Healthcare is in the middle of a digital revolution, yet the digital health market is unregulated. As the global leader in providing access to trusted digital health technologies, ORCHA enables safe digital adoption.

Improving lives with the best digital health

Our agile end-to-end technology allows us to review and certify digital health technology at unmatched speed, 5,000x faster than anyone.

This enables us to provide safe, accredited, compliant and trusted digital health libraries, which today hold 9,000 assessed products for health and care professionals to accurately prescribe to patients.

DIGITAL HEALTH. UNLOCKED.

Since 2015, ORCHA has been helping the NHS to find and successfully integrate trusted digital health solutions into care pathways.

Our team of clinical and digital experts continually monitor and ask questions about digital health developments, providing impartial and up-to-date insights which can be accessed in our reports, brochures and opinion pieces.

Your Health and Care App Library

Search ORCHA's App Library, featuring thousands of independent app reviews across a broad spectrum of health conditions. Every app is evaluated against more than 350 measures across Clinical/Professional Assurance, Data & Privacy, and Usability & Accessibility, making it easy for you to find the best apps for your needs.

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DIGITAL HEALTH. UNLOCKED. Join the journey to transform the world's health. Healthcare is in the middle of a digital revolution, yet the digital health market is unregulated. As the global leader in providing access to trusted digital health technologies, ORCHA enables safe digital adoption.

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Rock Pink Donates iPads to Florida Hospital Cancer Institute

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SimpleMind is the world leader in cross-platform Mind Mapping tools. One-time payment per platform, no subscriptions. Try now!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wearable Tech Expands Human Potential | Lauren Constantini | TEDxMileHigh

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Most apps designed for mental health sufferers - including those endorsed by the NHS - are clinically unproven and potentially ineffective, a recent study has shown.

In research published in the journal Evidence Based Mental Health, a team at the University of Liverpool found that many mental health apps and online programmes lack "an underlying evidence base, a lack of scientific credibility and limited clinical effectiveness".

The study also suggests that many mental health apps can lead to over-reliance and anxiety around self-diagnosis.

Simon Leigh, co-author of the study, argues that apps should be "well-informed, scientifically credible, peer reviewed and evidence based". "It's a really, really big problem," Leigh told WIRED. "The rate at which apps come out is always going to outweigh the rate at which they can be evaluated. Evaluation takes time - you have to design a pilot study and a retrospective observational study, randomise patients - and these apps can be knocked up in a matter of days."

Mental health apps have grown in popularity at a time when psychological services have faced an increased demand and decreased resources. Referrals to community mental health teams and crisis services have increased by 15%, despite a loss of around 200 full time mental health doctors and 3600 nurses.

Read next

Mental health apps: the promise

Many patients, faced with waiting lists, have turned to alternative sources of support - such as apps. George Freeman, Minister for Life Sciences, has even launched a £650,000 fund for developing mental health apps, and a web-based mental health service is planned for London.

But this reliance on apps can be a double-edged sword. "If you're on a waiting list and you spend money on an app and then nothing happens it can make you feel like 'well, I've tried and nothing works'," Leigh said. "If you go through the process of downloading and using an app and there are no benefits, it can compound your anxiety about your mental health problems." "But apps that actually are good can play a really great role in terms of waiting lists. They can act as a triage for less serious mental health problems and can be the perfect remedy in some cases. Apps can be beneficial, but we need to ensure that with wider usage we also invest in further research to ensure that they're robust."

Jen Hyatt is CEO of Big White Wall, an online community for those experiencing mental health problems. She's passionate about what she calls the "transformative" role of mental health apps. "They can provide access to services from the comfort of the home. Many people find it hard to access services because of geography, because of mental ill health, because of physical disability. We've also found that, in the 50% of cases that do get to a GP, they're not able to guide mental health problems adequately."

Clinical trials

Despite the increase in demand for health apps, the NHS' own App Library has been dogged with controversy, with researchers recently discovering a potential data leak. The library will be closing down, although the closure is due to the government's work on a new endorsement model for health apps, not the data leak findings.

The four NHS apps found to be clinically effective were Big White Wall, Moodscope, a self-tracking and peer support network, Happyhealthy, a mindfulness app, and WorkGuru, an occupational stress-management programme.

Outside of NHS-endorsed apps, other mental health apps have also proved clinically effective. Sleepio, a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based app for sleep management, has been shown in several trials to help long term insomnia - one trial put efficacy at 75%. And Wizard, a brain training app developed at the University of Cambridge, was found to improve the memory of patients with schizophrenia.

Stephany Carolan is CEO at WorkGuru and is currently studying for a PhD in digital intervention engagement. She told WIRED that mental health apps and programmes allowed "broader access to psychiatric help" as well as "normalising" mental illness. But she stressed that people should be wary of apps that promise too much. "There are no quick fixes," she said. "If an app says you only need to log in for ten minutes, it's just not true. It just doesn't happen like that. Take mindfulness for example - there's a strong clinical basis for it, but the interpretation of that in many online programmes is wrong. Mindfulness is a philosophy, it's more than a daily ten minute meditation - but a lot of programmes have taken it out of context. It's important that people know how complex a lot of these ideas are."

"There are no quick fixes. If an app says you only need to log in for ten minutes, it's just not true. It just doesn't happen like that"
Stephany Carolan, WorkGuru

A more robust future?

Big White Wall and WorkGuru, among others, are keen to make sure that mental health apps are clinically sound and socially responsible - but many other apps fail to replicate this eye for detail. There are thousands of unverified mental health apps available for Apple and Android, encompassing mindfulness, CBT, mood tracking, peer support and more. So how can we make sure we're not being duped?

"There are a few simple steps you can take," Leigh told WIRED. "Systematic reviews have shown that apps that have involvement with clinicians are on average twice as effective, so if you go to the website of an app you're thinking of downloading and there's contact details for a mental health practitioner, it's one indication that the app is going to be clinically viable." "The most obvious thing really is to see if the apps are forthcoming with the information - it's easy to say "we can cure your depression!", but not so easy to show any proof of this. If an app gives patient numbers and statistics? It's not totally robust, but it's a good start.

"You have to have clinicians involved in developing of the app. And you really need to have a process for 'red flags'- you need to know what you're going to do if you're concerned about somebody's mental health if they come onto your site or app. You need to make sure people are encouraged to contact their GP, mental health professional or even the Samaritans if the app isn't working for them." "Ultimately, maybe we need to move to the stage where mental health apps are being validated by an external body, but it needs to be a transparent process - and of course it needs to involve users and members of the public

Jen Hyatt also ensures a similar process for Big White Wall. "I have no tolerance for developers who try to avoid taking responsibility for the safety of people online. We have a responsibility to our users - it's the only route to a good, rigorous resource." "We have support staff 24/7. We have data analytics, tests we use to screen for tests, and a clinical governance handbook that has protocols for issues like suicide ideation, self harm and other crises. They can be escalated to a clinical psychiatrist within two minutes."

And Google and Android should make prominent those apps that have this kind of strong basis. The whole industry has a responsibility to promise those that work."
This article was originally published in October 2015 and has been updated to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Most apps designed for mental health sufferers - including those endorsed by the NHS - are clinically unproven and potentially ineffective, a recent study has shown. In research published in the journal Evidence Based Mental Health, a team at the University of Liverpool found that many mental health apps and online programmes lack "an underlying evidence base, a lack of scientific credibility and limited clinical effectiveness".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The world's largest personalized health network that helps people find new treatments, connect with others and take action to improve their outcomes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Healthcare is in the middle of a digital revolution, yet the digital health market is unregulated. As the global leader in providing access to trusted digital health technologies, ORCHA enables safe digital adoption.

Improving lives with the best digital health

Our agile end-to-end technology allows us to review and certify digital health technology at unmatched speed, 5,000x faster than anyone.

This enables us to provide safe, accredited, compliant and trusted digital health libraries, which today hold 9,000 assessed products for health and care professionals to accurately prescribe to patients.

DIGITAL HEALTH. UNLOCKED.

Since 2015, ORCHA has been helping the NHS to find and successfully integrate trusted digital health solutions into care pathways.

Our team of clinical and digital experts continually monitor and ask questions about digital health developments, providing impartial and up-to-date insights which can be accessed in our reports, brochures and opinion pieces.

Your Health and Care App Library

Search ORCHA's App Library, featuring thousands of independent app reviews across a broad spectrum of health conditions. Every app is evaluated against more than 350 measures across Clinical/Professional Assurance, Data & Privacy, and Usability & Accessibility, making it easy for you to find the best apps for your needs.

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DIGITAL HEALTH. UNLOCKED. Join the journey to transform the world's health. Healthcare is in the middle of a digital revolution, yet the digital health market is unregulated. As the global leader in providing access to trusted digital health technologies, ORCHA enables safe digital adoption.

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The NHS App lets you book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions and access a range of other healthcare services.

The NHS App is for people aged 13 and over who are registered with a connected GP surgery.

You can use some of the app's features without your GP surgery being connected.

95% of surgeries are now connected to the NHS App.

With the NHS App you can:

* check your symptoms - find reliable NHS information on hundreds of conditions and treatments, and get immediate advice

* book appointments - search for, book and cancel appointments at your GP surgery

* order repeat prescriptions - see your available medications and request a new repeat prescription

* view your medical record - get secure access to your GP medical record

* register to be an organ donor - easily manage your preferences on the NHS Organ Donor Register

* choose how the NHS uses your data - register your decision on whether it can be used for research and planning

Report an issue

You can contact the NHS App team directly to report any issue or if you have any questions about this product.

Please share the details through our contact form for our records.

The NHS App is free to download from the App Store and Google Play.

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The NHS App lets you book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions and access a range of other healthcare services. The NHS App is for people aged 13 and over who are registered with a connected GP surgery. You can use some of the app's features without your GP surgery being connected.

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Smart applications of technology could offer a lifeline for older people at risk of social isolation and loneliness, according to new research from Appello.
New findings from the provider of technology enabled care services, in collaboration with Good Things Foundation, the UK's leading digital inclusion charity, revealed that 7% of over 75 year olds don't see anyone and 7% don't speak to anyone in an average week.

Meanwhile, more than a quarter see two or less people in a week and 45% speak to two or less people and a third of people over 75-years-old admit to feeling lonely, and 30% feel socially isolated, occasionally or often.

Over half (56%) of older people welcome new technology if it improves their quality of life and the same number agrees that "technology can aid communication and help close the physical gap between distant family and friends," according to Appello.

While a landline phone remains the most commonly used form of communications technology for over 75-year-olds (93%), personal safety alarms, installed in many supported or assisted living environments, are the second most popular - cited by one third of older people surveyed.

Tim Barclay, CEO of Appello, commented: "While not a substitute for human interaction, technology has the potential to connect the unconnected, helping reduce the risk of social isolation and loneliness. Our survey challenges the common misconception that older people don't like or want technology - they absolutely do when it benefits their wellbeing and with the right support in place.

"In the future, smart devices and apps that support mobility, social inclusion and independence in supported housing could become as indispensable as personal alarms, pull cords and door entry systems are today - particularly as we see the switchover from analogue to digital."

Janet Morrison, chair of the Campaign to End Loneliness, added: "Many people assume that if you live in supported housing, housing association or care homes you won't be lonely - and that's clearly not true!

"We know that social interaction is limited because of barriers created by physical disability and, or, cognitive impairment among residents but we should also acknowledge that additional barriers are created by risk adverse housing providers and, or, a failure to recognise the importance of maintaining social connections for older people."

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Technology could quash elderly loneliness, new data suggests

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Smart applications of technology could offer a lifeline for older people at risk of social isolation and loneliness, according to new research from Appello. New findings from the provider of technology enabled care services, in collaboration with Good Things Foundation, the UK's leading digital inclusion charity, revealed that 7% of over 75 year olds don't see anyone and 7% don't speak to anyone in an average week.

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Ever get chills listening to a particularly moving piece of music? You can thank the salience network of the brain for that emotional joint. Surprisingly, this region also remains an island of remembrance that is spared from the ravages of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the University of Utah Health are looking to this region of the brain to develop music-based treatments to help alleviate anxiety in patients with dementia. Their research will appear in the April online issue of The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease.

"People with dementia are confronted by a world that is unfamiliar to them, which causes disorientation and anxiety" said Jeff Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in Radiology at U of U Health and contributing author on the study. "We believe music will tap into the salience network of the brain that is still relatively functioning."

Previous work demonstrated the effect of a personalized music program on mood for dementia patients. This study set out to examine a mechanism that activates the attentional network in the salience region of the brain. The results offer a new way to approach anxiety, depression and agitation in patients with dementia. Activation of neighboring regions of the brain may also offer opportunities to delay the continued decline caused by the disease.

For three weeks, the researchers helped participants select meaningful songs and trained the patient and caregiver on how to use a portable media player loaded with the self-selected collection of music.

"When you put headphones on dementia patients and play familiar music, they come alive," said Jace King, a graduate student in the Brain Network Lab and first author on the paper. "Music is like an anchor, grounding the patient back in reality."

Using a functional MRI, the researchers scanned the patients to image the regions of the brain that lit up when they listened to 20-second clips of music versus silence. The researchers played eight clips of music from the patient's music collection, eight clips of the same music played in reverse and eight blocks of silence. The researchers compared the images from each scan.

The researchers found that music activates the brain, causing whole regions to communicate. By listening to the personal soundtrack, the visual network, the salience network, the executive network and the cerebellar and corticocerebellar network pairs all showed significantly higher functional connectivity.

"This is objective evidence from brain imaging that shows personally meaningful music is an alternative route for communicating with patients who have Alzheimer's disease," said Norman Foster, M.D., Director of the Center for Alzheimer's Care at U of U Health and senior author on the paper. "Language and visual memory pathways are damaged early as the disease progresses, but personalized music programs can activate the brain, especially for patients who are losing contact with their environment."

However, these results are by no means conclusive. The researchers note the small sample size (17 participants) for this study. In addition, the study only included a single imaging session for each patient. It is remains unclear whether the effects identified in this study persist beyond a brief period of stimulation or whether other areas of memory or mood are enhanced by changes in neural activation and connectivity for the long term.

"In our society, the diagnoses of dementia are snowballing and are taxing resources to the max," Anderson said. "No one says playing music will be a cure for Alzheimer's disease, but it might make the symptoms more manageable, decrease the cost of care and improve a patient's quality of life."

###

K.G. Jones, M. Rollins, K. Macnamee, C. Moffit, S.R. Naidu, E. Garcia-Leavitt, R.K. Gurgel, J. Amaro and K.R. Breitenbach at U of U Health and University of Utah, E. Goldberg from the Jewish Family Services of Utah, J.M. Watson from University of Colorado and M.A. Ferguson from Massachusetts General Hospital also contributed to this project. This work received support from A. Scott Anderson and the American Otological Society.

University of Utah Health is the state's only academic health care system, providing leading-edge and compassionate medicine for a referral area that encompasses 10% of the U.S., including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and much of Nevada. A hub for health sciences research and education in the region, U of U Health touts a $291 million research enterprise and trains the majority of Utah's physicians and more than 1,250 health care providers at its Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy and Health. With more than 20,000 employees, the system includes 12 community clinics and four hospitals -- University Hospital; University Neuropsychiatric Institute; Huntsman Cancer Hospital; and the University Orthopaedic Center. For eight straight years, U of U Health has ranked among the top 10 U.S. academic medical centers in the rigorous Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, including reaching No. 1 in 2010 and 2016.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Music activates regions of the brain spared by Alzheimer's disease

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Researchers at the University of Utah Health are looking to the salience network of the brain to develop music-based treatments to help alleviate anxiety in patients with dementia. Their research will appear in the April online issue of Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease.

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National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

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Introduction

Technology has opened a new frontier in mental health support and data collection. Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are giving the public, doctors, and researchers new ways to access help, monitor progress, and increase understanding of mental wellbeing.

Mobile mental health support can be very simple but effective. For example, anyone with the ability to send a text message can contact a crisis center. New technology can also be packaged into an extremely sophisticated app for smartphones or tablets. Such apps might use the device's built-in sensors to collect information on a user's typical behavior patterns. If the app detects a change in behavior, it may provide a signal that help is needed before a crisis occurs. Some apps are stand-alone programs that promise to improve memory or thinking skills. Others help the user connect to a peer counselor or to a health care professional.

Excitement about the huge range of opportunities has led to a burst of app development. There are thousands of mental health apps available in iTunes and Android app stores, and the number is growing every year. However, this new technology frontier includes a lot of uncertainty. There is very little industry regulation and very little information on app effectiveness, which can lead consumers to wonder which apps they should trust.

Before focusing on the state of the science and where it may lead, it's important to look at the advantages and disadvantages of expanding mental health treatment and research into a mobile world.

The Pros and Cons of Mental Health Apps

Current Trends in App Development

Research via Smartphone?

A New Partnership: Clinicians and Engineers

Evaluating Apps

What is NIMH's Role in Mental Health Intervention Technology?

Join a Study

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Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment

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Technology has opened a new frontier in mental health support and data collection. Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are giving the public, doctors, and researchers new ways to access help, monitor progress, and increase understanding of mental wellbeing. Mobile mental health support can be very simple but effective.

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This proof-of-concept study is important because it demonstrates that the memory game can help where drugs have so far failed
Barbara Sahakian

Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition that causes a range of psychological symptoms, ranging from changes in behaviour through to hallucinations and delusions. Psychotic symptoms are reasonably well treated by current medications; however, patients are still left with debilitating cognitive impairments, including in their memory, and so are frequently unable to return to university or work.

There are as yet no licensed pharmaceutical treatments to improve cognitive functions for people with schizophrenia. However, there is increasing evidence that computer-assisted training and rehabilitation can help people with schizophrenia overcome some of their symptoms, with better outcomes in daily functioning and their lives.

Schizophrenia is estimated to cost £13.1 billion per year in total in the UK, so even small improvements in cognitive functions could help patients make the transition to independent living and working and could therefore substantially reduce direct and indirect costs, besides improving the wellbeing and health of patients.

In a study published today in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, a team of researchers led by Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge describe how they developed and tested Wizard, an iPad game aimed at improving an individual's episodic memory. Episodic memory is the type of memory required when you have to remember where you parked your car in a multi-storey car park after going shopping for several hours or where you left your keys in home several hours ago, for example. It is one of the facets of cognitive functioning to be affected in patients with schizophrenia.

The game, Wizard, was the result of a nine-month collaboration between psychologists, neuroscientists, a professional game-developer and people with schizophrenia. It was intended to be fun, attention-grabbing, motivating and easy to understand, whilst at the same time improving the player's episodic memory. The memory task was woven into a narrative in which the player was allowed to choose their own character and name; the game rewarded progress with additional in-game activities to provide the user with a sense of progression independent of the cognitive training process.

The researchers assigned twenty-two participants, who had been given a diagnosis of schizophrenia, to either the cognitive training group or a control group at random. Participants in the training group played the memory game for a total of eight hours over a four-week period; participants in the control group continued their treatment as usual. At the end of the four weeks, the researchers tested all participants' episodic memory using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) PAL, as well as their level of enjoyment and motivation, and their score on the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, which doctors use to rate the social, occupational, and psychological functioning of adults.

Professor Sahakian and colleagues found that the patients who had played the memory game made significantly fewer errors and needed significantly fewer attempts to remember the location of different patterns in the CANTAB PAL test relative to the control group. In addition, patients in the cognitive training group saw an increase in their score on the GAF scale.

Participants in the cognitive training group indicated that they enjoyed the game and were motivated to continue playing across the eight hours of cognitive training. In fact, the researchers found that those who were most motivated also performed best at the game. This is important, as lack of motivation is another common facet of schizophrenia.

Professor Sahakian says: "We need a way of treating the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as problems with episodic memory, but slow progress is being made towards developing a drug treatment. So this proof-of-concept study is important because it demonstrates that the memory game can help where drugs have so far failed. Because the game is interesting, even those patients with a general lack of motivation are spurred on to continue the training."

Professor Peter Jones adds: "These are promising results and suggest that there may be the potential to use game apps to not only improve a patient's episodic memory, but also their functioning in activities of daily living. We will need to carry out further studies with larger sample sizes to confirm the current findings, but we hope that, used in conjunction with medication and current psychological therapies, this could help people with schizophrenia minimise the impact of their illness on everyday life."

It is not clear exactly how the apps also improved the patients' daily functioning, but the researchers suggest it may be because improvements in memory had a direct impact on global functions or that the cognitive training may have had an indirect impact on functionality by improving general motivation and restoring self-esteem. Or indeed, both these explanations may have played a role in terms of the impact of training on functional outcome.

In April 2015, Professor Sahakian and colleagues began a collaboration with the team behind the popular brain training app Peak to produce scientifically-tested cognitive training modules. The collaboration has resulted in the launch today of the Cambridge University & Peak Advanced Training Plan a memory game, available within Peak's iOS app, designed to train visual and episodic memory while promoting learning.

The training module is based on the Wizard memory game, developed by Professor Sahakian and colleague Tom Piercy at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. Rights to the Wizard game were licensed to Peak by Cambridge Enterprise, the University's commercialisation company.

"This new app will allow the Wizard memory game to become widely available, inexpensively. State-of-the-art neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, combined with the innovative approach at Peak, will help bring the games industry to a new level and promote the benefits of cognitive enhancement," says Professor Sahakian.
Reference
Sahakian, BJ et al.The impact of neuroscience on society: Cognitive enhancement in neuropsychiatric disorders and in healthy people. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B; 3 Aug 2015 Home page image: Brain Power by Allan Ajifo

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future therapeutics behavioural and clinical neuroscience institute (bcni)

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-department of psychiatry school of clinical medicine

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behavioural and clinical neuroscience institute (bcni)

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'Brain training' app may improve memory and daily functioning in schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition that causes a range of psychological symptoms, ranging from changes in behaviour through to hallucinations and delusions.

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ENG Session Outline - Inspiring Digital Activities

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ENG Session Outline - Inspiring Digital Activities

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Welsh Government DI infographic v2 - November 2019

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CYMRAEG - Welsh Government DI infographic v2 - November 2019

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CYM Session Outline - Inspiring Digital Activities

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CYM Session Outline - Inspiring Digital Activities

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A practical guide
highlighting common
tactics used in romance
fraud. Safeguarding
through knowledge and
empowerment.

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Information and advice for how to look out for scams and how avoid them. Also provides information about what to do if you become the victim of a scam.

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When using the data as a source please reference the Authors and owners of the data appropriately.

For example: e.g., Johns, et al (Dec, 2020) End of Phase 1 'Palliative & Intensive Care. Phase 1 Survey Data Families & Clinicians. The NHS Wales Video Consulting Service, TEC Cymru. Cited at (add the website or other source and date retrieved)

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When using the data as a source please reference the Authors and owners of the data appropriately. For example: e.g., Johns, et al (Dec, 2020) End of Phase 1 'Palliative & Intensive Care. Phase 1 Survey Data Families & Clinicians. The NHS Wales Video Consulting Service, TEC Cymru.

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When using the data as a source please reference the Authors and owners of the data appropriately.

For example: e.g., Johns, et al (Dec, 2020) End of Phase 1 'Palliative & Intensive Care. Phase 1 Survey Data Families & Clinicians. The NHS Wales Video Consulting Service, TEC Cymru. Cited at (add the website or other source and date retrieved)

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When using the data as a source please reference the Authors and owners of the data appropriately. For example: e.g., Johns, et al (Dec, 2020) End of Phase 1 'Palliative & Intensive Care. Phase 1 Survey Data Families & Clinicians. The NHS Wales Video Consulting Service, TEC Cymru.

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Thisissand is a unique playground for creating and sharing amazing sandscapes on your computer or mobile device. Start pouring away to experience this special sand piling on your screen!

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Виталий Волынец (84)

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Let's create! Pottery community > Home page

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Let's Create! Pottery Community. Home Page

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Spotify is all the music you'll ever need.

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Imagine your in-laws are helping you with a password... this is what they'd say.

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The PaP Machine is a little sideproject and exploration of minimalistic design by Tim Holman and Tobias van Schneider. To make the world
a better place, one smile at a time. You can follow us here: Follow @twholman Follow @vanschneider

Its simple really, you enter a password...
any password and the PaP Machine will be honest* about your passwords strength.* Honest like a lawyer, or your cold hearted X.

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PaP - Passive aggressive password machine.

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PaP - The passive aggressive password machine.

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RemArc

Your browser currently has JavaScript disabled. To use the application, you must enable JavaScript in your browser.

Welcome to the BBC Reminiscence Archive. This archive provides access to a selection of content from the BBC Archives, designed to support reminiscence therapy.

The principle of reminiscence therapy is to assist people who have dementia to interact and converse in a natural way by stimulating their long-term memory with material from the past. It is often the case that long-term memory can still function when the person's working (short-term) memory is degraded. Tapping into long-term memory can make it possible once again for them to enjoy interacting with others, through their stories.

A number of reminiscence systems have been developed for people with dementia, based on photographs, photo books, boxes of objects and materials and interactive computer applications. The BBC wants to contribute to this growing set of supports for people with dementia and their carers by drawing on the enormous fund of photos, videos, and sound clips in its archives.

For more information about dementia, please visit The Alzheimer's Society or Alzheimer Scotland or bbc.co.uk/dementia

The BBC Reminiscence Archive (or RemArc) was developed by the BBC, Dundee University and University of St Andrews, and built by Atos as a tool to support people with dementia and carers.
Contact us about RemArc

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Seeing AI: Making the visual world more accessible

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Seeing AI: Making the visual world more accessible

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Seeing AI: Making the visual world more accessible