Alz Well: AI-Powered Support for Dementia Caregivers

Innovative ecosystem eases stress and enhances dementia care

Dementia caregiving remains one of the most demanding roles in healthcare, with over 17 billion hours of unpaid care provided annually in the United States and 60% of caregivers experiencing extreme stress. The societal cost of dementia is projected to reach $2.8 trillion by 2030. Alz Well aims to transform this landscape by offering a comprehensive digital ecosystem that supports both caregivers and patients, reducing stress and improving quality of life.

What sets Alz Well apart is its holistic design, integrating a caregiver app, a patient smart band, and a smart speaker with a large display. The caregiver app features a dark mode for night use and a wellness dashboard, while the smart band enables simple voice and one-tap interactions for patients. The smart speaker, equipped with a 10.2-inch screen, allows for voice commands and reminiscence therapy through visual memories. AI-driven location tracking ensures patient safety by monitoring wandering, and central scheduling with intelligent suggestions streamlines daily routines for caregivers.

Alz Well’s technology is meticulously crafted for accessibility and ease of use. The app, designed in Figma and prototyped for iOS using Swift UI and UIKit, leverages large language models for seamless voice interactions. The wearable and speaker components are designed for intuitive operation, requiring no learning curve for patients. This invisible technology approach ensures that both caregivers and patients can benefit from advanced features without added complexity.

Research for Alz Well involved direct interviews with family caregivers and extensive desk research from reputable sources such as the CDC and Alz.org. The primary challenge addressed was creating a system that is effortless for dementia patients while providing robust monitoring and scheduling tools for caregivers. The result is an ecosystem that manages multiple aspects of dementia care—wandering, reminiscence, home tasks, and monitoring—within a single, user-friendly platform.

Alz Well’s impact has been recognized with the Bronze A' Digital Product Design Award in 2025, honoring its creative ingenuity and contribution to improving quality of life. By incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology, Alz Well exemplifies how thoughtful innovation can make the world a better place for those affected by dementia.

As dementia rates continue to rise, solutions like Alz Well demonstrate the vital role of design and technology in supporting caregivers and empowering patients, setting a new standard for compassionate, effective care.