A communication tool for people living with dementia
A communication tool for people living with dementia
*Update* See What I Mean is no longer active. We continue to advise and mentor organisations and individuals using technology to improve the lives of people living with dementia. If you think you can benefit from our advice get in touch
What is See What i Mean?
See What I Mean (SWiM) is an app which translates words into pictures. The instant translation of word to image brings the idea into a moment of conversation and has been found to be effective at stimulating memories, improving communication, mood and levels of engagement amongst people with dementia.
For people living with dementia words can become increasingly hard to understand, making communication and social interaction difficult. Images, on the other hand, can retain their meaning long after the sense of a word has been lost. This means that for most people living with dementia an image communicates an idea or emotion more clearly than a word.
How does it work?
It’s simple. You say a word and the SWiM app will find an image which corresponds to that word. For example, in a conversation about holidays, a trip to Paris is mentioned. The app brings up a selection of images of Paris, which in turn helps stimulate memory and encourage interaction.
The SWiM app has access to a huge range of images from Google and Getty Images. The app also allows you to save your favourites, so you can build a collection of images which hold particular meaning or interest.
You can also upload your own photos creating a library of meaningful images unique to you or your loved one.
Our Story
See What I Mean was originally created as a speech to image communication tool by Ilyanna Kerr (Co-Founder) in the final year of her Design degree at Goldsmiths University. During the early stages of its development she found the app to have many potential uses through experimentation and testing with a wide range of people. This design process led her to discover it to be a powerful tool in helping to stimulate memory and interaction for people affected by dementia. Since then See What I Mean have continued to work alongside people living with dementia and their friends, family and carers to develop a tool that meets their needs. The SWiM app was used by care providers in the UK to support the care of people living with dementia and provided important insights into the possibilities technology has for people living with cognitive impairments. See What I Mean is currently inactive but we do continue to advise and mentor organisations and individuals using technology to improve the lives of people living with dementia. If you think you could benefit from our advice get in touch.
What are the benefits?
The benefits of using images with people living with dementia have long been recognised, e.g reminiscence therapy. Images help stimulate memory and engagement, which in turn can improve wellbeing and quality of life.
With the SWiM app the conversation is not limited to the hard copy images you have to hand, and it’s not slowed down by searching for images on the internet. The ease of use and instant translation of word to image encourages a natural flow to conversation. Images can be saved, creating a familiar and meaningful collection. This ability to refer back to these images can play an important role in supporting a person with dementia as their condition progresses.
Our Impact
In 2014 we tested the effects SWiM could have on communication, engagement and mood on people living with dementia at a dementia care centre. It produced some remarkable results:
In 90% of sessions the app improved communication between participants and facilitators
In 90% of sessions the app improved communication between participants and facilitators
In 70% of sessions the app led to a significant improvement in mood of the participants
In 70% of sessions the app led to a significant improvement in mood of the participants
100% of care staff who used the app would use it on a regular basis and recommend it to friends and colleagues
In 90% of sessions the app improved communication between participants and facilitators
In 90% of sessions the app improved communication between participants and facilitators
In 70% of sessions the app led to a significant improvement in mood of the participants
In 70% of sessions the app led to a significant improvement in mood of the participants
100% of care staff who used the app would use it on a regular basis and recommend it to friends and colleagues
The app clearly encouraged participant engagement and in 87% of sessions significantly increased the level of participant engagement
100% of care staff who used the app would use it on a regular basis and recommend it to friends and colleagues
“I am such a big fan of SWiM...it’s so easy to use and so convenient. The speech detection is excellent and I love the instant access. I bless the team at See What I Mean every time I use it.”
- Hermi, Activity Facilitator, Jewish Care
“I could carry on speaking and pull up images to show and share what I was talking about. For the people in the group these pictures awakened so many memories. Using the app meant I could be more responsive and hold their interest”
- Adam, Activity Facilitator, Jewish Care
“I'm just so overwhelmed by it I can see the difference it makes, after all the years I've spent running reminiscence and music groups, it definitely makes a huge difference.”
- Carer, Jewish Care
“I think it is very useful because there are times where I can't say what I want to say - I can't describe things, I really am impressed with this.”
- Member, Forget-Me-Nots Dementia Support Group
“I find the SWiM app adds a huge dimension to the discussion and in many cases it triggers memories via the pictures and definitely increases the flow of conversation within the group.”
- Carer, Jewish Care
The App
SWiM Care is designed for use within care environments such as day centres, home-care and residential settings. It makes a real difference to reminiscence and activity sessions - improving communication, engagement and mood for people with dementia. We offer training - including advice on best practice, suggestions for activities and on going customer support as part of the package.
Want to put SWiM Care into your Care Setting? Contact us at care@seewhatimean.co.uk
SWiM Personal is currently in development. With this you can upload your own photos as well as access a huge range of images from Google and Getty Images to build collections that are more meaningful to you. To be notified when the SWiM app is available on the app store sign up to our newsletter.
The Founders
Ilyanna Kerr, Co-Founder and CEO
Ilyanna studied Design at Goldsmiths College, University of London and the SWiM app originated from a final year project focused on how linking speech to images can strengthen understanding and aid communication. Ilyanna’s work as a designer focuses on interaction and visual communication. She has worked at leading design agency Pentagram, where her clients included Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres, the Science Museum, Saks Fifth Avenue, and the Royal Academy of Arts.
The Founders
Peter Rogers, Co-Founder and CTO
Peter is a senior computing tutor at Goldsmiths College, University of London and is the lead developer of the SWiM app. Peter also works as a designer and programmer. His recent projects have included social and speculative design in the sphere of citizen participation and mobile location aware services.
Our Advisors
Jo Harrington
Partner - Innovation Unit
Joseph has experience working as a service design consultant across the public sector; leading projects from social research with vulnerable groups to transformation work at the service delivery, strategic, organisational and policy levels. Before joining the Innovation Unit, he was leading public sector work at Engine Service Design and running a programme of work to develop ethical practice in service design for the consultancy Uscreates.
Nada Savitch
Co-Director - ID
Nada has a background in information work and worked as website manager for the Alzheimer’s Society for almost six years. During this time she provided support and training to groups of people with dementia who were interested in using computers. She also worked on a consultation basis with people with dementia to design websites and to develop new and accessible computer software.
Tim Lloyd Yeates
Director - Alive!
Tim founded and directs Alive! a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life of older people in care. He is passionate about empowering older people, especially those now living in residential care and is campaigning for care home residents to have access to their interests. He is also the acknowledged innovator of using iPads with people with dementia and co-founded the Memory Apps for Dementia partnership in 2010.