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Why Emmto?

Emmto is a digital platform that facilitates engagement with those impacted by memory and communication challenges.

Emmto is built on approaches that are well established  in the field of dementia care and rehabilitation.

By using memories to guide and structure conversation, communication can once again be a  rewarding and enjoyable experience.  

With Emmto we can now
LOOK FORWARD TO LOOKING BACK

Communication is a critical component of who we are and how we relate to each other.

Memory loss and/or communication challenges are associated with Dementia but are also very common in many conditions such as Parkinsons, Stroke, Acquired Brain Injury and Multiple Sclerosis. Memory loss can also be part of (the ) natural ageing process. 

Communication is a critical component of who we are and how we relate to each other.

The Emmto team recognise the challenges that living with memory and communication challenges can bring. As memories fade, it makes it harder to hold a conversation, not only the person affected, but those around them often struggle to communication.

Not only the person affected, but those around them often struggle to communicate

Global incidence of conditions associated with memory challenges.

DEMENTIA

STROKE

Acquired Brain Injury

Parkinson

Those supporting someone with memory challenges have said:

Those experiencing problems with memory face different challenges. Factors such as repetition, missing words, poor concentration,  all combine to make it difficult to follow the thread of the conversation. 

People have told us:

I can’t find the right words….

I get frustrated when I forget……

 

Emmto can overcome these difficulties by providing a safe, guided framework for conversation using technology to capture the memories and life achievements of the person and bringing them to life via images, audio and text.

You are never short of conversation starters or what to talk about as the life story of the person unfolds on screen.

EMMTO KEEPS CONVERSATION FLOWING BY BRINGING MEMORIES TO LIFE

Who uses Emmto?

For the Person with Communication Challenges

Celebrate the past   

A picture is worth a thousand words

Photos are wonderful memory joggers and it is well known that memory retention is higher using images rather than the written word.

By focusing on comfortable, familiar topics, the person can lead and make a significant contribution to the conversation. Conversation flows easily and evolves naturally. Opportunities to contribute positively to the conversation are empowering and can help maintain self esteem, dignity and identity contributing to an improved quality of life.

Emmto supports and empowers the person to tell the story of a life well lived, drawing on memories of the past and creating memories for the future.
Benefits for the person with memory and communication challenges

Whilst the person with communication challenges is unlikely to be the purchaser, unless in the early stages of the disease, there are still advantages to them using the app. Emmto can be useful at all stages of Dementia. In the early stages of Dementia, the person can create their own profile or it can be compiled by a family member or carer.

Creating an Emmto profile can be a very enjoyable activity, reminding everyone involved of those moments that are valued. Rather than focussing on what is lost or what or can't be remembered, build on the long term memory which is still intact. Studies on those undertaking this kind of activity cite an improved self reported quality of life.

Research also shows that, using a digital medium can aid memory retention (See section 5). Our experience in working with people with Dementia has ensured that our “Moment Player” interface is simple with no added distractions so that the person with Dementia is not confused by what they see. During our research on competitors in the market it was felt that the interfaces were too busy, with too many buttons, arrows etc shown on the screen at the same time as the image which can cause distress.

Emmto will become fundamental, not only to preserving memories of people with dementia, but it will also act as a mechanism to structure life events in a simple way which can be used to communicate and help to keep memories alive.

Keep treasured memories safe forever

Using Emmto to create and view MOMENTS is a rewarding experience which helps us see and appreciate the uniqueness of the person and open the door to the past.

Rather than worrying about spending time together . we can make the most of time we share, staying close and connected.

Using the memories of the person, Emmto builds up a collection of MOMENTS which are comfortable and familiar to the person. These are used as a focus for conversations, in which the person with memory challenges can take the lead, at their own pace. As conversation flows organically from one moment to the next, we are reminded of their past lives and happy times spent together.

New family members or other significant people in their lives can quickly get to know and appreciate the person in a very visual and enjoyable way.

Emmto provides a framework to lay down new memories for the future when partaking in activities with nearest and dearest.

Emmto is also invaluable when taking the person into new situations or unfamiliar settings which they may find unsettling. Simply open the digital application and start viewing MOMENTS which can be used to calm and reassure the person.

Using Emmto to create and view MOMENTS is a rewarding experience which helps us see and appreciate the uniqueness of the person and open the door to the past.

WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO LOOKING BACK

For Families and Friends

For every person diagnosed with dementia there are 3 family members significantly affected (Cahil S. 2012)

For every person diagnosed with dementia there are 3 family members significantly affected (Cahil S. 2012)

This is also true for people with other conditions.

Emmto encourages and supports continued engagement with family and friends.

There is often a struggle to converse with people with memory and communication challenges. We may hold back as we are not sure how to approach the person for fear of not knowing what to say or saying the wrong thing.

Emmto provides a clear pathway for communication, taking away any stress and anxiety.

Benefits for Families and Friends
  • Easy to build up a lifetime of memories for each individual.
  • Enable collaboration with healthcare participants to build memories faster and more efficiently.
  • Help families remember the uniqueness of their loved ones.
  • Provide talking points and conversation starters to get communication going.
  • A powerful tool to enable daily activities on short term visits.
  • Opportunities to record sessions and send to other family members not living locally or living abroad.
  • Opportunities to leave recorded messages if face to face conversation is not possible.
  • Provide a lasting memory of their loved ones when they have passed.
  • Different family members can access the profile.
  • Allow the person with dementia, to be seen as someone with rich experiences.
  • Ground the person at times of challenging behaviour.
  • Calm the person at times of agitation.
  • Be an enjoyable activity.
  • Stimulate memory.
  • For those with Dementia, who are able to capture and complete their own moments in the app, it will be both a meaningful activity and create a sense of achievement.
  • Improved observed quality of life. LSW has been proven to improve quality of life for the person with Dementia in the areas of communication, interaction, cognition and mood.
  • Can be tailored to meet the individuals individual support needs

Mum loves to talk about her life………..

Having topics to talk about gets the conversation started ……

I can use the images to calm and distract if mum gets upset ……..

It really works…

For Support staff and carers

Know more about the Person you care for

Emmto can take you anywhere you want to go, whenever you want to go there.

Using Emmto couldn't be easier. Creating profiles, adding MOMENTS and playing them back with the resident follows a simple and familiar social media style format.

Using images, audio and text, memories are stimulated enabling the resident to talk about parts of their lives they can no longer just tell us about. You can use the generic MOMENTS format based on information gathered on admission and quickly add or personalize MOMENTS as you go, keeping information relevant and current. It is easy to build up a lifetime of memories that will reveal the uniqueness of the person's life. Creating this link to the past is both stimulating and enjoyable for the person and contributes to health and wellbeing.
Benefits for Support staff and carers
  • Easy to build up a lifetime of memories for each individual.
  • Enable collaboration with healthcare participants to build memories faster and more efficiently.
  • Help families remember the uniqueness of their loved ones.
  • Provide talking points and conversation starters to get communication going.
  • A powerful tool to enable daily activities on short term visits.
  • Opportunities to record sessions and send to other family members not living locally or living abroad.
  • Opportunities to leave recorded messages if face to face conversation is not possible.
  • Provide a lasting memory of their loved ones when they have passed.
  • Different family members can access the profile.
  • Allow the person with dementia, to be seen as someone with rich experiences.
  • Ground the person at times of challenging behaviour.
  • Calm the person at times of agitation.
  • Be an enjoyable activity.
  • Stimulate memory.
  • For those with Dementia, who are able to capture and complete their own moments in the app, it will be both a meaningful activity and create a sense of achievement.
  • Improved observed quality of life. LSW has been proven to improve quality of life for the person with Dementia in the areas of communication, interaction, cognition and mood.
  • Can be tailored to meet the individuals individual support needs

Bringing to life forgotten MOMENTS can make it easier for staff to relate to, and get to know the resident.

Using your chosen device, you can have access to all your Emmto. Profiles and MOMENTS at any time or place. This enables you to make the most of any opportunities to engage a resident throughout the day or night. This gives great flexibility outside of structured sessions.

Every time you access Emmto, a record of the session is automatically created and staff also have the opportunity to add notes and rate the success of the session. 

As all relevant staff have access to the digital application, dissemination of all relevant information can be viewed quickly and easily to inform future interactions with the resident.

Emmto is not just (an) aid to communication. Viewing moments can distract and calm the person during periods distress when in unfamiliar situations such as hospitals, examinations, etc.

Day and Residential Service Managers

Emmto using technology to elevate person-centered services.

Emmto gives us good evidence based outcomes for residents and provides useful data to support HIQA compliance, particularly in Standards 1. Person Centered Care, 2. Effective Services and 4.Health and Wellbeing.”

Emmto helps build positive relationships between staff and residents and staff have the confidence to approach residents to start a conversation.

Social interaction and meaningful activities are important to ensure the health and wellbeing of residents with dementia. Using technology like Emmto enhances person centered care within the residential care setting and ensures that residents have as good a quality of life as possible.

Activities such as Reminiscence and life story work are an integral part of any person centered care plan for someone with memory challenges. Research shows that person centred care is enhanced by the provision of life story work.

Benefits for Public and Private Day and Residential facilities

All olders persons' residential care facilities are regulated by HIQA, who ensure there is good governance by regular inspections.  HIQA expects organisations to meet standards in a number of areas.  Introducing Emmto will help organisations to meet and exceed these standards. For example: 

HIQA Standard 1: Person centered care.  

  • Many organisations currently use either Key To Me or This is Me assessment tools as part of compiling a Person Centred Care plan prior to admission. The Emmto platform would replace these paper based tools and at the same time, all the information required to create a profile and deliver a life story/reminiscence session is captured or requested from family/carers. 
  • Providing activities that meet the needs of the person should be provided, including the necessary staff training and technology devices to deliver the same.

HIQA Standard 2: Effective services. 

  • Information on a session can be stored by the Primary Nurse or Activity Coordinator and then other carers can dip into it to see what the person did previously or what they enjoyed and what captured their attention.  In this way changes in end user preferences can be disseminated quickly and efficiently.
  • Analytics to monitor progress, mood etc.
  • A number of profiles can be accessed on one device instead of having to locate multiple printed life story books.
  • One of the unique selling points to residential facilities is that sessions are evaluated and these results can be disseminated to other staff. 
  • Easy for staff to use, simple to collate  and add information, digestible format.  
  • Space saving; if each resident had a printed Life Story book it would take up space.  Also items in residential facilities tend to go missing.  This loss can be devastating for such an essential element in the care of older persons.
  • Easy to collect information such as photos etc from families using this medium. This will save time for the Activity coordinator/Primary nurse/key worker.

HIQA  Standard 4: Health and Wellbeing

  • For those who cannot have regular visits because of Covid restrictions or have family living abroad, the Emmto will have the ability to record messages for the person with Dementia. It will also have the capacity to have a record of the session sent to families/carers via email. 
  • Using one device to access all clients' life stories instead of multiple books will help prevent infection, as rather than passing around multiple books which are not so easily disinfected, there will be a simple wipedown of the device each time it is used. 
  • Help staff to see the person behind the dementia and appreciate their uniqueness.
  • Easy to build up a lifetime of memories for each individual. 
  • Enable quick and easy collaboration with family members to build memories.
  • Powerful tool to facilitate daily activities.
  • Efficiently access the profile when an opportunity arises spontaneously to engage the person with Dementia as well as during scheduled activity sessions. 
  • For those with no family or access to photos a generic, age appropriate template is available.  This can also be used as a guide when compiling the profile. 

Overall, we  believe that Emmto will facilitate compliance with HIQA standards and improve efficiency and quality of care in residential facilities.

Emmto can start making a difference right from the start. For example information collected on admission can be used to build up a set of generic MOMENTS for use in Reminiscence or life story work.

Staff can rate sessions using a simple assessment tool within the digital application and Emmto automatically tracks what was viewed, length of session and dates of sessions. All data collected is stored in a safe space and is fully compliant with GDPR requirements.

Emmto session information can be quickly and easily retrieved to generate documentary evidence that residents' needs are being met and that work done in this area meets and exceeds HIQA expectations and standards.

Emmto can also play vital role in maintaining a strong connection between care home and family as information flows easily between the two. Email links are generated to keep families updated and informed. New events can be easily added and voice messages can be sent. This is particularly important for those who live away and cannot visit regularly.