For Donna
My mother's dementia was progressing. She lives with my sister, but the gaps between moments of connection were growing. I built her an iPad app.
The Problem
My mother was losing her footing, and we couldn't be there every minute.
The world was becoming unfamiliar. Faces she used to know, routines that had been second nature — everything was slipping away. My sister was her primary caregiver, but there were gaps. Hours when Mom was alone with her confusion, her anxiety, her sense of being lost.
Technology designed for people with dementia often misses the point. It's either patronizing or overwhelming, filled with features that demonstrate capability rather than provide comfort.
The Solution
I built an iPad app with one simple purpose: help my mother feel less alone.
Gentle Affirmations
Time-appropriate greetings and reassuring messages that change throughout the day.
Family Messages
Simple interface for family members to send personal messages that appear on her screen.
Calm Interface
No clutter, no confusion — just what she needs to see, when she needs to see it.
Designed for Dementia
Large text, high contrast, simple interactions — accessible for someone whose world is shrinking.
The Technical Approach
This wasn't about building a feature-rich application. It was about building exactly what was needed and nothing more.
Web-based so it works on her iPad without app store complexity. Simple authentication so family members can send messages. Time-aware so greetings match the actual time of day.
Every design decision was made with one person in mind: someone who needed comfort, not complexity.
"She's losing her footing, and we can't be there every minute."
The Result
One person feels less alone.
There's no dramatic business outcome here. No cost savings, no efficiency gains, no metrics that prove value in conventional terms.
Just a mother who sometimes looks at her iPad and sees a message that reminds her she's loved. That's the whole result. That's enough.