Virtual Reality, Robots, Interactive Apps, Other New Tech Help People with Dementia and Their Caretakers

In the past two decades, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only five drugs for Alzheimer's disease, reports the Washington Post . Stepping into the treatment void are robotics and digital devices. Among the technologies on display at the annual Alzheimer's Association International Conference last summer were lifelike robotic companion pets, robots to help patients remember to complete a task, GPS tracking tools to help find someone who has wandered off, and virtual reality systems that can mentally transport patients outside the four walls of their homes or assisted-living facilities to other parts of the world and even to other decades.