Surrey Startup Lands Funding to Fight Dementia with Tech
New Innovations Aim to Assist Patients and Reduce Hospitalizations
A Surrey-based startup has secured investment from the Alzheimer’s Society Accelerator program. This funding will support the development of technologies designed to improve dementia care. The goal is to help people understand and better manage their symptoms.
Focus on Hydration and Symptom Monitoring
Caroline Cake, co-founder of Neu Health, expressed enthusiasm: We’ve seen how transformative digital tools have been with other conditions, diabetes for example, and we wanted to see if we could do the same for dementia.
Neu Health will collaborate with Hydro Care, focusing on technology to monitor hydration levels in dementia patients. This partnership seeks to address a major challenge faced by caregivers.
Join us in welcoming the latest cohort of innovators to the Alzheimer’s Society Accelerator programme! 🚀
This year’s cohort have developed a range of new tech solutions aimed at supporting people affected by dementia and their carers. https://t.co/kI0gYcR5vE #dementia #innovation #alzheimers #tech pic.twitter.com/67c7kXlR01
— Alzheimer’s Society (@alzheimerssoc) May 9, 2024
“We know that carers often find it difficult to monitor whether their loved one is drinking enough, a challenge that commonly leads to issues like urinary tract infections that lead to hospital admissions.”
—Dr. Tess Morris-Paterson, Founder of Hydro Care
A recent study estimates that over 55 million people globally live with dementia (WHO 2024).
Impact and Future Goals
The new technology is designed to aid families in their day-to-day care. It also aims to prevent avoidable hospital admissions, potentially easing pressure on the National Health Service.
Caroline Cake highlighted the personal motivation: I’ve sadly seen first-hand after my grandmother and mother’s diagnoses, we’re thrilled to partner with Alzheimer’s Society to bring the app to reality.
Simon Lord, Alzheimer’s Society’s Head of Innovation, stated, We’re committed to the challenges people living with dementia face today.
Neu Health and Hydro Care anticipate their product being market-ready by 2026.
