Memory Assist wins Rep. Alma S. Adams’ 2024 Congressional App Challenge in North Carolina’s 12th District

When asked what inspired the creation of Memory Assist, the students said, “The key inspiration for Memory Assist came from my personal experience with my grandfather, who has milder dementia and struggles with memory loss. Watching him face these challenges firsthand deeply influenced the development of this project. Seeing him forget names and faces, even of close family members, was a difficult and emotional experience for all of us. It highlighted just how much memory loss can impact relationships, and I wanted to find a way to help him and others like him maintain a stronger connection with their loved ones.
 

Alzheimer’s and dementia affect millions of people worldwide. In North Carolina alone 11.6% of the adults who are 65 and older have Alzheimer’s and 21.5% have dementia. In many cases, the inability to remember loved ones creates a painful distance in relationships. Witnessing this firsthand made it clear that we needed a tool that could help bridge this gap, offering patients a way to stay connected with their families, even as memory loss progresses. The goal was to create something practical, easy to use, and capable of providing immediate assistance when patients struggle with recognition.

We wanted to take advantage of AI technology and advancements in facial recognition to create a solution that was not only innovative but also affordable and accessible. The idea that a simple, wearable device could give patients the ability to recognize loved ones at the press of a button felt both empowering and deeply human.”