7 Essential Apps for Dementia Family Caregivers
Assistive technology can be immensely helpful when caring for somebody on their dementia journey, making life that bit easier both for individuals and their caregivers.
In the past, we’ve focused on various types of assistive aids but one area we’re yet to give our verdict on is apps. So, this month, we’ve been investigating the best apps for people living with dementia and their caregivers and put together a shortlist of our favourites.
From dementia-friendly games to digitally coordinating care, these apps can all help to ease the day-to-day and provide enrichment or meaningful support. Take a look at our top choices below.
1. OurTurn
Best for: Coordinating care across family members
OurTurn is an ideal tool for organising a loved one’s care, especially when multiple people are involved and everyone needs visibility of appointments, routines and support needs. The platform acts as a hub, organising every task, reminder and activity in a single, simple timeline that can be accessed by the individual and their family carers alike.
Features include:
- Shared care plans
- Daily routines and reminders
- Family coordination
- Activity suggestions
- Location and wellbeing features
- Simple interface for the person living with dementia
2. Ditto
Best for: Medical appointments
A newer app to launch, Ditto can be helpful if you struggle to recall everything that was said or agreed at appointments. Designed specifically to record and summarise appointments, Ditto helps lighten the load. It can translate to different languages, and recordings can be shared with the people who matter.
It allows carers to:
- Record consultations (where appropriate)
- Store letters and documents
- Prepare questions before appointments
- Generate easy-to-read summaries of medical discussions
3. My ALZ Journey
Best for: Newly diagnosed families
Originally developed by the Alzheimer’s Association, the app is ideal for people feeling overwhelmed following a diagnosis with no real idea where to start. My ALZ Journey offers personalised support for newly diagnosed individuals and their care partners and was developed with input from people living with dementia and their caregivers to reflect real life.
Features include:
- Guided information following diagnosis
- Care planning support
- Educational resources
- Practical next steps for families
4. Willow by Nemora
Best for: Meaningful engagement and dementia-friendly activities
Designed specifically around dementia care principles and UK dementia-care standards, Willow is built for people living with dementia and their carers. The app is personalised to greet each person by name, tell them the day and date, the season, weather and more. With a simple layout to browse, users can select era-matched time-of-day activities, including life story work, games and music.
Willow offers:
- Reminiscence activities
- Personalised music
- Cognitive stimulation
- Life story tools
- Family involvement features
5. Care Games Co – Together and WithYou
Best for: Connection and reducing boredom
Created by someone with live-in caring experience, Care Games Co has two apps: one for individuals with dementia and another for caregivers. The Care app offers seven gentle memory games to be played by the person and their caregiver; the WithYou app is a complete carer’s companion, offering practical tools, activities and everyday support.
Together includes:
- Gentle memory games
- Conversation prompts
- Activities designed for carers and loved ones to do together
- No-pressure interaction
WithYou includes:
- Sound Therapy & Calm Toolkit
- Routine Builder & Quick Help Guide
- Conversation starters & Today’s Moment
- What Shall We Cook & Care Games section
6. CarerNest
Best for: Finding additional support
When you need additional support, CarerNest can help you find just that. The platform connects families with verified homecare providers quickly and securely. Using AI, the app asks users to input their care needs and postcode and generates matches of qualified and DBS checked providers offering specific dementia care, companionship, respite care or post-hospital recovery assistance.
Helps families:
- Find vetted carers
- Arrange respite support
- Book companionship care
- Access home-care services
7. AcTo Dementia
Best for: Finding dementia-friendly apps
AcTo Dementia is a resource rather than a single app, reviewing and recommending touchscreen apps suitable for people living with dementia. Run by a group of university researchers, the app is a funded research project and all recommendations are evidence-reviewed.
Helpful if you’re looking for:
- Games
- Music apps
- Creative activities
- Tablet-based engagement tools
Dementia caregiver challenges are many but these apps can offer support in organisation, health management, communication and enjoying enriching experiences with loved ones. Of course, no app can replace human connection but the right technology can reduce stress, improve care coordination and free up more time for meaningful moments.