Latest news with #ElliCares
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
AI-powered app targeting cognitive health of older adults
Adults frequently tell their children to stop spending so much time on their mobile devices, for fear it will rot their brains. Ironically, Dunedin-based app company Elli Cares is helping to develop a world-first, AI-powered mobile phone app that will assist older adults in monitoring and strengthening their cognitive health. Elli Cares originally supported seniors living with dementia, by creating a mobile app that gave them gentle reminders when it was time to take medications, go to appointments, carry out tasks such as refilling medications scripts, and informing family members if their loved one missed a reminder or left a safe zone. It aimed to empower them to live independently, confidently and with greater control over their health and wellbeing. The New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) recently awarded a $4million Catalyst: Strategic research grant, alongside additional co-funding from Singapore's National Research Foundation, to develop a new app which can monitor and strengthen the cognitive health of all seniors — not just those with dementia. Elli Cares founder Angela Edwards said the company would work with Dementia New Zealand, and researchers from the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Auckland, alongside the Singapore-based National Neuroscience Institute, the A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, and Lions Befrienders. The new app would use speech and game-based tasks to assess memory, decision-making and verbal fluency. It would also use adaptive AI algorithms that tailored activities to each user's performance, analyse their performance, and alert families and clinicians with summaries if changes to their performance were detected. Ms Edwards said studies had shown the brain was a muscle that needed to be used, and if it was not used, "it wastes away". She said playing games like Candy Crush, Wordle, Sudoku, and even "rapid-fire shooting games',' on mobile phones were good for cognitive health. "We can actually identify a number of different types of games that can help different parts of your brain. "We want to find recall games that can help with memory; rapid fire games that can help with response times; and language-based games that can help with vocabulary and communication." The new app marks a shift from passive diagnosis, to proactive cognitive resilience. The project will include a pioneering integrated ethics programme, led by University of Otago Dunedin School of Medicine bioethics lecturer Dr Tania Moerenhout, to ensure the users' values, autonomy and privacy were prioritised from the earliest design stages. Dr Moerenhout said older adults may prioritise autonomy and meaningful living, while families would focus on safety. "AI tools must reflect those nuances. "Embedding ethics across the design process is key to building trust and ensuring the technology truly supports the lives people want to lead." Ms Edwards said the new app would be embedded into the Elli Cares app, because it was already being used in more than 40 countries, making it quicker and easier to deploy and expand the new app. She was thrilled the next-generation tool would bring world-class AI researchdirectly into the lives of all older adults and their families.
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
The Selwyn Foundation Announces First-of-its-Kind Investment In Older Persons' Wellbeing Focused On Dementia Support
Press Release – Selwyn Foundation The new agreement, announced at the 15 May Scaling Investments into Social Impact forum co-hosted by The Selwyn Foundation, the Impact Investing Network and Forsyth Barr, deepens the relationship further and signifies Selwyns first impact investment. AUCKLAND, 15 May 2025 – The Selwyn Foundation has announced plans to make New Zealand's first impact investment in the older persons' wellbeing market, via a new agreement with Ōtepoti Dunedin-based social enterprise Elli Cares. The Foundation will provide significant funding for the business's award-winning dementia support technology. The Elli Cares app, which is active in 40 countries, provides personalised reminders, location tracking, and AI-driven tools for users with dementia and caregivers. The Selwyn Foundation was an early financial supporter, selecting Elli Cares to receive a grant following its Respectful Ageing Innovation Challenge launched in 2023. This was designed to support the development of innovative products and services that would significantly improve outcomes for older people. 'There's surprisingly little philanthropic or private sector money currently going into services and support for older adults in Aotearoa. We're setting about changing this. As part of our Social Impact & Mission Strategy, which has allocated sizeable funding for impact investing and our partnership with Elli Cares is just the start,' said Denise Cosgrove, CEO of The Selwyn Foundation. The new agreement, announced at the 15 May Scaling Investments into Social Impact forum co-hosted by The Selwyn Foundation, the Impact Investing Network and Forsyth Barr, deepens the relationship further and signifies Selwyn's first impact investment. 'This investment is instrumental in allowing us to scale both our technology and our reach. It will directly support the rollout of our Preventative Health and AI-driven engagement tools, as well as expand our presence across Aotearoa and beyond through new partnerships with not-for-profits, aged care providers, and healthcare professionals. With Selwyn's backing, we can accelerate our mission to help older adults – especially those living with dementia or cognitive challenges – maintain independence, dignity, and wellbeing.' Angela Edwards, Founder of Elli Cares said. 'Impact investing is values-aligned investing intended to create positive social or environmental impacts alongside competitive financial returns. The size of the global market is $1.571 trillion USD and is expected to grow significantly. However, locally we are yet to fully embrace the potential of this market,' Cosgrove said. 'Solving our most pressing social challenges requires innovative investment approaches, new mindsets, and new kinds of partnerships. By investing capital into scalable investment opportunities, we can deliver financial returns alongside transformative outcomes for communities – in economic participation, ageing well, health and more. We invite others to partner with us to deliver social impact at scale, so all older people may age with dignity and respect.'
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
The Selwyn Foundation Announces First-of-its-Kind Investment In Older Persons' Wellbeing Focused On Dementia Support
AUCKLAND, 15 May 2025 – The Selwyn Foundation has announced plans to make New Zealand's first impact investment in the older persons' wellbeing market, via a new agreement with Ōtepoti Dunedin-based social enterprise Elli Cares. The Foundation will provide significant funding for the business's award-winning dementia support technology. The Elli Cares app, which is active in 40 countries, provides personalised reminders, location tracking, and AI-driven tools for users with dementia and caregivers. The Selwyn Foundation was an early financial supporter, selecting Elli Cares to receive a grant following its Respectful Ageing Innovation Challenge launched in 2023. This was designed to support the development of innovative products and services that would significantly improve outcomes for older people. 'There's surprisingly little philanthropic or private sector money currently going into services and support for older adults in Aotearoa. We're setting about changing this. As part of our Social Impact & Mission Strategy, which has allocated sizeable funding for impact investing and our partnership with Elli Cares is just the start,' said Denise Cosgrove, CEO of The Selwyn Foundation. The new agreement, announced at the 15 May Scaling Investments into Social Impact forum co-hosted by The Selwyn Foundation, the Impact Investing Network and Forsyth Barr, deepens the relationship further and signifies Selwyn's first impact investment. 'This investment is instrumental in allowing us to scale both our technology and our reach. It will directly support the rollout of our Preventative Health and AI-driven engagement tools, as well as expand our presence across Aotearoa and beyond through new partnerships with not-for-profits, aged care providers, and healthcare professionals. With Selwyn's backing, we can accelerate our mission to help older adults - especially those living with dementia or cognitive challenges - maintain independence, dignity, and wellbeing.' Angela Edwards, Founder of Elli Cares said. 'Impact investing is values-aligned investing intended to create positive social or environmental impacts alongside competitive financial returns. The size of the global market is $1.571 trillion USD and is expected to grow significantly. However, locally we are yet to fully embrace the potential of this market,' Cosgrove said. 'Solving our most pressing social challenges requires innovative investment approaches, new mindsets, and new kinds of partnerships. By investing capital into scalable investment opportunities, we can deliver financial returns alongside transformative outcomes for communities – in economic participation, ageing well, health and more. We invite others to partner with us to deliver social impact at scale, so all older people may age with dignity and respect.'
