Meet Kristin Nelson, Founder/CEO of Audivi Memory Banks and ALCA New England Corporate Partner
December 15, 2023 | Corporate Partner Spotlight
What geographic area do you cover, Kristin?
Audivi Memory Bank’s app can be downloaded (and accessed) by anyone in the U.S. or Canada in both the iOS or Google Play Store. Our ‘Unlock the Power of Memories’ tutorials are available remotely to cover the same area.
What services do you provide that would be helpful for care managers and their clients to be aware of?
Audivi Memory Bank offers an easy-to-use platform to reminisce and secure on-going access to memories & the benefits of reminiscing. Audivi’s app allows users to create a personalized memory bank (public, private or shared) and save an unlimited number of audio-visual memories in their bank. Each memory includes both a photo & audio file and can be prompted by either showing a photo or asking a question. There are a number of questions pre-loaded in the app but users can also create their own. Once a memory bank is created in Audivi’s app, it can be played back from any smartphone or tablet as a set-&-go activity.
Optimized for individuals with dementia, Audivi Memory Banks serve as a helpful tool for caregivers to manage the most challenging aspects of memory loss (ie., to redirect sundowning or manage the stress of an emergency room visit) and also offer an engaging, captivating reminiscence-based activity for individuals (to stimulate happy emotions, boost pride and accomplishment, etc). Given that memory loss typically happens over an extended period of time, we hope care communities will help create Audivi Memory Banks for their clients and preserve this priceless touchstone to their past & invaluable tool for their future.
Audivi also offers regular on-line tutorials on the benefits of reminiscing and using memory banks to engage in reminiscing. These tutorials can be adapted for a general audience or targeted to families caring for individuals with memory loss. Tutorials guide participants through the app’s features and present effective strategies for making the most of reminiscing activities.
We are eager to share our memory banking platform with care managers to help them bring reminiscing to their clients. We would also invite care managers or their clients to participate directly in our on-line tutorials.
Why did you go into this business? What separates you from others in this field?
I had a long career in international public health, mostly as Deputy Director of a Boston-based nonprofit Partners In Health, but quit that job to take care of my mom when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I became her primary caregiver and, based on that experience, started Audivi Memory Banks. Like others with dementia, my mom had no short-term memory but recounted her long-term childhood memories all the time. While it was hard as a caregiver to hear those loops again and again, I came to realize that they provided her familiarity, comfort, and a touchstone to the past in her otherwise confusing day. I started Audivi Memory Banks as a way to package up those memories and play them back for her anytime, anywhere – with the click of a button.
Audivi Memory Banks offers a unique, curated, reminiscence-based activity that requires no training or supervision. It can be implemented in individual or group settings and can be used by families, grandchildren, and professional caregivers alike. Given the growing burdens and challenges of our aging society, we hope that Audivi Memory Bank’s affordable, easy-to-use option can become a foundational part of dementia care.
What do you enjoy in your free time?
I enjoy running, skiing and playing tennis; spending time with family; and traveling. I worked in Indonesia for many years earlier in my career and always enjoy the adventure of exploring a new country.
To reach Kristin: Kristin Nelson, Founder/CEO, Audivi Memory Banks; kwnelson@audivi.world; 781-290-9810; www.audivi.world
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