Towards an HCI-based symbiotic environment for Alzheimer's support

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), being the most common form of dementia diagnosed in people over 65 years of age, is a global problem with dramatic impact, as there is no cure for it and worsens as it progresses, eventually leading to death. As the sufferer declines s/he often withdraws from family and society, leading to a marginalized way of living. Considering the life expectancy rise, a looming global epidemic of AD is foreseen; hence, new approaches need to be considered regarding AD prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and confrontation. In this vein, an alternative approach (namely Symbiosis) towards a symbiotic Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) environment is presented in this chapter, as a means to facilitate, understand and incorporate the needs of the whole AD community (i.e., patients, caregivers and doctors), involving cutting-edge technology, special serious games and natural-user interfacing, embedded within an innovative design framework. Overall, Symbiosis acts as a technology-based mediator for AD's indoor and outdoor activities, fostering their social inclusion and increasing their quality of life in a symbiotic context.