Loop-Met-Me-Mee app

    The Loop-Met-Me-Mee app is a walking app with personal and communal stories for the future generation of elderly people. The app is designed by Arzu Ayikgezmez (Vitibuck) and Marlou de Jong as part of the Open Call “Dementia in Public Space” by the Netherlands Funds for the Creative Industry and the city of Rotterdam. Read here a summary of the results.

    Personal walking app with stories

    The Loop-Met-Me-Mee app is a walking app with personal and communal stories for the future generation of elderly people. With the app walking routines can be captured based on personal landmarks and stories. For people suffering slight symptoms of dementia the app is a reminder on the way.

    Staying mobile is very important but gets more difficult with age. Vulnerable elderly people are afraid of falling down en depending on the degree of forgetting they are afraid of getting lost. Therefore they don’t go outside alone any more despite the need to be outside.

    To explore how people with dementia can be supported to go out and take a stroll, the design team went on tour with several elderly people.  During this walks and talks especially people suffering slight symptoms of dementia choose their own landmarks to find their way. They create own routines with stories for a stroll and routes for their day-to-day needs.

    Different walking routines crossing each other generate possibilities to meet and offer social interaction.

    Besides the physical aspect, walking also gives higher self-esteem and greater self-reliance; I can do it.

    The personal stories and landmarks are the base of the walking app, an app where users can follow own routines by adding their won landmarks and stories; the Loop-Met-Me-Mee app.

    Background

    The app is developed as part of the Open Call “Dementia in Public Space” by the Netherlands Funds for the Creative Industry and the city of Rotterdam. The app is a collaboration of the designers Arzu Ayikgezmez (Vitibuck) and Marlou de Jong.

    With special thanks to: Mr. Gang, Mr. Huisman, Mr. Bouwman, Ria Bronsgeest, Kees Deenik and the staff and clients of Aafje Meerweide IJsselmonde, photography  Sofie van Greevenbroek, Muzus