Picture Books for Adults With Dementia Go Digital With New App

A startup in Waterloo, Canada, has published six hardcover books for people with dementia, with plans to release another 10 on their new digital platform, reports CBC News . Marlena Books' new reading app will go live this week, and company founder Rachel Thompson says its development was driven by customers requesting more new titles than they could afford to print, as well as their translation into languages other than English. Another factor was people losing their ability to read as their dementia progressed. The app is designed for use on Apple products, enabling readers to choose between 15 different stories and a list of accessibility options. Readers can alter font size, activate automatic page turning, and personalize the story by swapping the main character's name out for their own, according to Thompson. Planned for rollout later this year is an option for users to hear the story read aloud to them. Thompson says Marlena Books intends to issue a second version of the app, which would include translation to different languages, by next spring.