A home computer system to help dementia patients safely manage daily tasks is currently being trialled in Norway.

The touch screen device prompts patients to take their medications, reminds them when their carer is arriving and whether it is daytime or nighttime - a particular problem for dementia sufferers. It is aimed at elderly who can still live alone but are suffering from the early effects of memory loss.

The MPOWER device allows relatives or carers to check whether the patient is responding and its two-way functionality allows them to interact too, explains project manager Marius Mikalsen:

"This is also a system for sharing information. The families of these patients are often anxious about how it is going with their parents, and this allows both them and the home help to enter messages that will be automatically displayed by the system."

MPOWER is part of an EU programme developing new equipment to aid the increasing elderly population.

The system which has been trialled in the two Norweigan cities of Trondheim and Grimstad is being developed further to include home sensors and GPS to track patients.

www.sintef.no/Projectweb/MPOWER