When Words Fail, We Must Find Other Ways to Listen
I’m particularly looking forward to this year’s LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, where I’ll have the extraordinary privilege of introducing Emma Heming Willis, who will share her personal journey caring for her husband, Bruce Willis, following his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Emma recently shared something that has stayed with me. Quoting dementia-care specialist Teepa Snow, she reminded readers that dementia itself doesn’t take away a person’s dignity. How we respond to that person makes all the difference. I couldn’t agree more.
Through her new book and her openness about her family’s experience, Emma is helping us better understand what it means to care for someone whose needs and abilities are changing. Her story resonates deeply with me. Although he did not have FTD, my journey in caregiving began with my own father.
I founded Amba because I wanted to help my parents remain independent, safe and in control of their own lives. My father needed a little extra support, but he was fiercely protective of his independence and privacy. Quite right, too.
We tried a wearable emergency alert device, but he simply wouldn’t use it. Wearing a pendant was an unwelcome reminder that he might need help. And pressing that button would mean admitting something he wasn’t prepared to admit. So the device sat unused.
It struck me that we were asking my father to adapt to the technology, when surely the technology ought to adapt to him. That realization became the beginning of Amba.
As a technologist, I set out to create a way to recognize subtle changes in someone’s health and wellbeing without cameras, wearables or intrusions upon their daily life.
Everyone deserves to be heard, even without words.
One aspect of Emma’s story that particularly moves me is the challenge of communication. Frontotemporal dementia can affect language and the ability to express thoughts. Imagine knowing what you want, what makes you comfortable or what doesn’t feel right, but struggling to explain it.
When someone can no longer tell us what they need, our responsibility to listen becomes even greater.
This is one of the things that gives me the greatest satisfaction about Amba. By quietly recognizing changes in sleep, movement, heart rate, breathing and daily routines, Amba can help caregivers understand when something may be wrong, even when the person they’re caring for cannot explain it themselves.
These subtle changes can be important clues, allowing caregivers to respond earlier and with a better understanding of the individual. In a very real sense, Amba can help give a voice to people who are struggling to communicate.
Technology should help us become better caregivers.
Today, Amba supports people across the full continuum of care, from independent living through memory care and skilled nursing. I’m especially encouraged by what this technology can mean for people living with dementia, where understanding individual needs and preferences can become increasingly complex.
The possibilities extend well beyond older adults, including children and people with disabilities who may be unable to communicate their needs verbally. Everyone deserves to be understood, respected and cared for in a way that honours who they are.
Technology can give compassionate caregivers better information, greater confidence and more opportunities to provide the right support at the right moment. That’s an enormously exciting prospect.
Looking forward to Philadelphia.
As we gather at LeadingAge, I hope we’ll spend time thinking about what it means to preserve dignity, independence and personal choice, particularly for those who increasingly depend on others.
I’m tremendously proud of what we’re creating at Amba and even more excited about what’s ahead.
I look forward to welcoming Emma to the LeadingAge stage and learning from the perspective she’s bringing to families and caregivers everywhere. She’s also going to be signing her book at our booth after!
And if you’re joining us in Philadelphia, please do come and say hello. I’d be delighted to meet you.
Stuart Hamilton
Founder & CEO, Amba
