West Coast Healthy Memory Society
Project Overview
The West Coast Healthy Memory Society web app helps a nonprofit create brain training activities for seniors with Alzheimer's. The app uses AI to make personalized learning materials that keep seniors' minds active and engaged.
We built this app with two main views: one for staff members who create the activities, and one for senior participants who use them. Staff can quickly generate reading, math, and memory exercises tailored to each person's needs, while seniors can easily access and complete these activities at their own pace.
Key Features
- AI-Generated Content: Uses OpenAI to create custom learning materials based on individual needs.
- Staff Dashboard: Easy-to-use interface for creating and managing activities for participants.
- Senior-Friendly Interface: Simple, accessible design for elderly users with varying digital comfort levels.
- Diverse Activity Types: Includes reading exercises, math problems, and memory activities suited to different cognitive levels.
- Progress Tracking: Helps staff monitor participant engagement and improvement over time.
Challenges
Building this app came with some unique challenges we needed to solve:
- Working with Non-Technical Clients: We needed to explain complex technology in simple terms and make sure the client understood how the system worked.
- Designing for Seniors: Creating an interface that works well for elderly users who might not be familiar with technology required careful attention to accessibility and simplicity.
- Content Generation: Setting up AI to create appropriate, helpful activities that match each person's abilities took careful planning and testing.
- Balancing Simplicity and Functionality: Making sure the app was resourceful enough for staff but simple enough for staff and seniors to navigate comfortably.
Our Approach
We used OpenAI's technology to power the content creation system, which helps staff generate personalized activities quickly. This saves them time and ensures participants get materials that match their specific needs and interests.
For the technical side, we built the app using Next.js and TypeScript to create a smooth, responsive experience. We used MySQL and Drizzle ORM to securely store user data and activity information. Content generation is powered by OpenAI's AI models, while AWS handles reliable and scalable image storage.
Most importantly, we focused on creating a senior-friendly design with large text, simple navigation, and clear instructions that help elderly users feel confident using the app.
Reflection
Working with the West Coast Healthy Memory Society was a rewarding experience that showed us how technology can make a real difference in people's lives. Seeing seniors engage with personalized activities that keep their minds active was particularly meaningful.
We learned a lot about designing for accessibility and how to make technology approachable for users of all ages and technical backgrounds. The feedback from both staff and participants has helped us improve the app over time.
This project demonstrates how AI can be used in practical, helpful ways that enhance human capabilities rather than replace them. By automating content creation, we freed up staff time so they could focus more on personal interactions with participants.