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From what I've seen, once you reach your grandfather's age, you too will have the same problem he does -- the inability to reason your way out of the problem.

From what I've seen, once you reach your grandfather's age, you too will have the same problem he does -- the inability to reason your way out of the problem. My father has reached a similar state of mind recently, and I'm not at all sure how to address it and fill the void it created, especially since he never was very fluent with tech (computers or cell phones), and he lives alone. Ten years ago your grandfather would have done what anyone without a GPS does -- he'd retrace his steps, or bring a map, or ask someone how to get home. But the problem now is that these things don't occur to him; his mind is no longer self sufficient; he's confused. I think the only tech solution is for him to be able to speak aloud, "Take me home", and hopefully there's a device in his hand (or strapped to his arm) that understands his words and can tell him exactly what to do. Or it can send a message to a rescue team which comes to get him. At some point in life, when your mind is no longer able to think rationally, I believe your digital assistant will have to take charge completely -- listening to your voice and telling you exactly what to do or calling help for you. Hoping to restore lost cognitive skills via the right kind of device or app is not a plan that scales well with a declining mind.

mrguyorama 8y ago
Someone in that state would not likely think to shout into thin air. At that point you operate more on instinct and midlife decision-making inertia.
- daveFNbuck 8y ago
  Currently, I say into the air "ok Google, navigate home" if I don't know how to get home. If that's what I continue do for the next 40 years, it may be instinctual enough to continue through my senility.
  - randcraw 8y ago
    At some point I hope companies like Google/Amazon/Apple will allow us to initiate the conversation with their devices using additional "safe" keywords like "help" or "emergency" or "I'm lost". That would improve their value for emergencies a lot, since injured people don't need to be senile to be befuddled or verbally incapacitated. There are numerous products available now (like "Life Alert", but cheaper), where the user simply presses a button on a pendant around their neck, and a human voice asks "Hi, this is company X. How can I help you?". The summoner can then converse verbally with the agent and request help or contact someone on your behalf. Though I think most such devices/services don't yet know your physical location, it seems likely that more of them will do so soon, as well as add supplementary features like the ability to route the summoner's call and location to a caregiver's phone or computer. Using such a device is almost effortless, which I think is essential for someone who's confused and afraid or injured.
mjevans 8y ago
I think you're on the correct track, but in this case the default state should be assumed to be one of failure. It needs to operate like a deadman switch, and if out of prescribed safety bounds require active feedback of intent and will to not trigger stages of reaction. Contacting family/friends, and/or emergency responders if the situation is critical or at risk of becoming so.
- jdietrich 8y ago
  There's already a significant market for assistive GPS trackers. Most of them offer geofencing; some support two-way communication. One particularly ingenious company has designed a pair of shoe insoles with GPS tracking. https://www.techsilver.co.uk/product-category/assistive-technology/gps-dementia-trackers-patients-elderly/ https://www.techsilver.co.uk/product-category/assistive-tech...
- sjruckle 8y ago
  Personally, I doubt I would get along well with an assistant that was keeping score of all the times I was wrong, and always questioning my abilities based on that. "Dave, you have lost your wallet exactly 19 times in the previous 29 years. It was underneath your car's seat exactly 17 of those times. Why are you checking the couch for the third time? You are showing signs of dementia. Should I call your brother for assistance?" ... You know, I typed the first part out with an honest oposition to the idea of an "assumed failure" state, but the situation I came up with just makes it look more appropriate. Expecting the software to tell the difference between all my normal insane things and genuine dementia seems impossible.

mrguyorama 8y ago

Someone in that state would not likely think to shout into thin air. At that point you operate more on instinct and midlife decision-making inertia.

daveFNbuck 8y ago
Currently, I say into the air "ok Google, navigate home" if I don't know how to get home. If that's what I continue do for the next 40 years, it may be instinctual enough to continue through my senility.
- randcraw 8y ago
  At some point I hope companies like Google/Amazon/Apple will allow us to initiate the conversation with their devices using additional "safe" keywords like "help" or "emergency" or "I'm lost". That would improve their value for emergencies a lot, since injured people don't need to be senile to be befuddled or verbally incapacitated. There are numerous products available now (like "Life Alert", but cheaper), where the user simply presses a button on a pendant around their neck, and a human voice asks "Hi, this is company X. How can I help you?". The summoner can then converse verbally with the agent and request help or contact someone on your behalf. Though I think most such devices/services don't yet know your physical location, it seems likely that more of them will do so soon, as well as add supplementary features like the ability to route the summoner's call and location to a caregiver's phone or computer. Using such a device is almost effortless, which I think is essential for someone who's confused and afraid or injured.

mjevans 8y ago

I think you're on the correct track, but in this case the default state should be assumed to be one of failure. It needs to operate like a deadman switch, and if out of prescribed safety bounds require active feedback of intent and will to not trigger stages of reaction. Contacting family/friends, and/or emergency responders if the situation is critical or at risk of becoming so.

jdietrich 8y ago
There's already a significant market for assistive GPS trackers. Most of them offer geofencing; some support two-way communication. One particularly ingenious company has designed a pair of shoe insoles with GPS tracking. https://www.techsilver.co.uk/product-category/assistive-technology/gps-dementia-trackers-patients-elderly/ https://www.techsilver.co.uk/product-category/assistive-tech...
sjruckle 8y ago
Personally, I doubt I would get along well with an assistant that was keeping score of all the times I was wrong, and always questioning my abilities based on that. "Dave, you have lost your wallet exactly 19 times in the previous 29 years. It was underneath your car's seat exactly 17 of those times. Why are you checking the couch for the third time? You are showing signs of dementia. Should I call your brother for assistance?" ... You know, I typed the first part out with an honest oposition to the idea of an "assumed failure" state, but the situation I came up with just makes it look more appropriate. Expecting the software to tell the difference between all my normal insane things and genuine dementia seems impossible.