1. Final Year Project Report
Bsc Computer Science and Information Technology
Eamon Mc Kelvey-11531933
Supervisor: Dr Attracta Brennnan

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Table of Contents
1 Introduction........................................................................................................................4
1.1 Thesis Statement....................................................................................................................4
1.2 General Introduction to research ...........................................................................................4
1.3 Context...................................................................................................................................5
2 Dementia............................................................................................................................6
2.1.1 Stage One( The Early Stage)...............................................................................................7
2.1.2 Stage Two (The Middle Stage)...........................................................................................7
2.1.3 Stage Three (The Late Stage).............................................................................................8
2.2 Some Stats about Dementia ...................................................................................................8
2.3 Technology...........................................................................................................................10
2.4 Apps for the elderly..............................................................................................................12
2.4.1 What is an app?...............................................................................................................12
2.4.2 Facebook .........................................................................................................................12
2.4.3 Skype ...............................................................................................................................13
2.4.4 Blood Pressure iBP...........................................................................................................14
2.4.5 Pill reminder pro..............................................................................................................15
2.4.6 Clock Face Test & Memory Puzzles..................................................................................16
2.4.7 Kindle...............................................................................................................................17
2.5 Comparing the Apps.............................................................................................................18
2.6 Interaction............................................................................................................................19
2.6.1 Interaction Design ...........................................................................................................20
2.7 User Design ..........................................................................................................................21
2.7.1 Font and button size........................................................................................................21
2.7.2 Contrast...........................................................................................................................22
2.7.3 Sound...............................................................................................................................22
3 Functional and technical requirements.............................................................................23
4 Technical Requirements....................................................................................................28
4.1 Apple IOS..............................................................................................................................28
4.2 Objective C ...........................................................................................................................29
4.2.1 Some features of Objective C (Apple, 2015)....................................................................29
4.3 Swift programming language................................................................................................30
4.3.1 Advantages of Swift.........................................................................................................30
4.4 Parse database .....................................................................................................................31
4.5 xCode ...................................................................................................................................32
4.5.1 Features of xCode............................................................................................................32
5 Case Study ........................................................................................................................34
5.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................34
5.2 Users ....................................................................................................................................34
5.3 Tasks.....................................................................................................................................36
5.3.1 Task 1...............................................................................................................................36
5.3.2 Task 2...............................................................................................................................36
5.3.3 Task 3...............................................................................................................................37
5.3.4 Task 4...............................................................................................................................37
5.3.5 Task 5...............................................................................................................................37
5.3.6 Task 6...............................................................................................................................37
5.4 Using the Tool ......................................................................................................................37
5.5 Guidelines.............................................................................................................................38

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5.5.1 To register to device........................................................................................................38
5.5.2 To login to the device ......................................................................................................39
5.5.3 Upload a photo from device to app.................................................................................40
5.5.4 Time Travel section..........................................................................................................41
5.5.5 Add a task and delete ......................................................................................................42
5.5.6 Use the News function ....................................................................................................43
6 Analysis of Results.............................................................................................................44
6.1 What happened....................................................................................................................44
..................................................................................................................................................46
6.2 Some Feedback ....................................................................................................................47
6.3 Conclusion from feedback....................................................................................................47
6.4 Evaluation.............................................................................................................................48
7 Final Conclusion................................................................................................................49
7.1 What I learned throughout the project.................................................................................49
7.2 Future Work.........................................................................................................................49
8 Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................50
9 Bibliography......................................................................................................................51

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1 Introduction
1.1 Thesis Statement
“The use of a mobile phone/tablet app by elderly people with memory
difficulty, to help them relive and remember precious moments to them and to
provide enjoyment in their lives.”
1.2 General Introduction to research
Dementia is an illness which affects millions of families worldwide on a daily
basis. This illness affects the memory use of the patient and the most common
type of dementia is of course, Alzheimer’s. (Association A. , n.d.)
Often, these patients are looked after by a loving family member or a
specialised carer. This job can be very difficult and as the condition worsens ,
the patient may become aggravated and unsettled. As technology has grown
dramatically over the past 1o or so years, there is always hope for new
technology to be of assistance to care givers and patients worldwide. Currently
there is software out there that carries out a specific task, such as checking
blood pressure or reminders for taking medication. These types of software can
now be used on everyday devices such as smartphones and or tablets. The
author of this report will discuss the current applications out there that they
feel are beneficial to people of an elder age, suffering from memory loss. This
shall be discussed in chapter 2.3.1. As a member of the public who has many
elderly relations, the author of this report intends to design and implement an
app to be used on both iPhones and iPads. This app is intended to make the life
of the dementia patient as well as the carer, a little easier. This app is also
intended to be used by elderly people who have yet to be diagnosed with any
sort of memory use but would like to keep track off it.

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1.3 Context
The author proposes to design an app which can be used by both the patient
and their carer. The authors proposed app will help remind the user about the
life they lived , about their family , about major historic events that happened
throughout their lifetime as well as an interactive quiz which would add a bit of
enjoyment to their life. Once the user registers to the app , they can then
upload photos from their phone and enter a descriptive text to remind them in
the future about what is going on in said photo. They can also enter the task
manager mode and type in a task that they need to do and then delete it when
completed. The user can also ‘Time Travel’. This feature allows the user the
opportunity to go through a decade of their choice and see what major events
happened around the globe during that time period. The user can also visit their
favourite news websites with a click of a button and for a bit of enjoyment,
there is also a quiz which they can play. All these features are intended to help
the user with their memory loss.

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2 Dementia
Dementia is an age related illness which affects memory , cognitive and social
functions of a person.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and it makes up 50%
of cases worldwide. This illness is common in people over the age of 65. In
Ireland alone there are an estimated 42,000 people suffering from it and top
doctors and researchers believe this figure to between 65,000 and 140,000 over
the course of 30 years or so. The older the person is the more of a chance they
have of developing it. Unfortunately this illness has no cures but sufferers are
given top quality treatment to help ease the pain , both for the patient and the
patients family or loved ones. Treatment usually takes the form of prescribed
drugs which slow down the process of dementia. (Services, 2014)
As these figures are expected to increase dramatically over the next few
decades , it is with great importance that we develop new and better
technologies to help the people affected by such a cruel illness. Later in this
chapter I shall discuss the technologies currently used in cases such as this and
technologies which could be implemented in the future.
Although Alzheimer’s is the most common form of memory loss ,there are
others out there and it affects everyone around the globe on a daily basis.
Research has shown that approximately 47 million people worldwide have some
sort of memory loss and that out of everyone who has some sort of dementia,
only one in four are diagnosed with it. An estimated 7 million new cases are
reported each year. Once again this figure is estimated to double in 20 years’
time. (sheet, 2015)

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Figure 1:shows the estimated number of dementia patients worldwide (Prince, 2015)
The time scale of dementia can be broken up into three stages, early stage ,
middle stage , and the late stage. Each stage has its own symptoms which can
show people what stage they or their loved ones is at.
2.1.1 Stage One( The Early Stage)
This stage is often overlooked as people affected can often think that the
symptoms are due to old age. This stage is a gradual process , which is another
reason why it is overlooked. Symptoms are as follows:
 forgetfulness
 losing track of the time
 becoming lost in familiar places.
2.1.2 Stage Two (The Middle Stage)
As the dementia worsens the signs and symptoms of the illness become
greater. This is normally the stage when people begin to notice the effects of
process. Symptoms are as follows:
 becoming forgetful of recent events and people's names

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 unaware of home surroundings
 increased difficulty in communication
 needing help with personal care
 behavior changes, wandering and constant questioning.
2.1.3 Stage Three (The Late Stage)
This is the most severe stage in the process. The patient has near total
dependence and is usually inactive. They may be fed through a tube and have
lost all sense of communication. This is the cruellest stage in the cycle.
Symptoms include:
 becoming unaware of the time and place
 having difficulty recognizing relatives and friends
 having an increasing need for assisted self-care
 having difficulty walking
 patient becoming more aggressive.
(Dementia, 2016)
2.2 Some Stats about Dementia
Ireland has a population of roughly 4.6 million people. This is an increase of
over 400,000 from over the past 10 years. Due to this increase we have seen a
rise in the amount of people over the age of 65 living in the country. The media
have labelled this rapid ageing population as a “Financial time bomb” as there
isn’t any plans in place to help deal with such an increase. The government are
living in fear due to the risk of pension deficits that may arise. With more elderly
in the country than before , the rates of dementia and other memory loss

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illnesses will surely increase. Some stats to illustrate the potential increase are
as follows:
 Over 65s may reach 1.5m by 2046
 Over 80s may rise to 470,000 by 2046, nearly four timed what it is now
 By 2046 there may be up to 500,000 more elderly people than young
(Ring, 2013)
These stats highlight the need to develop new methods to help people dealing
with memory loss, as its only going to get bigger throughout our country.
In today’s worlds, technology is booming. It seems like there is a new life saving
invention being created every day. We, as humans have evolved greatly over
the years. We keep up with the latest trends and go with the flow in technology.
We see more and more older people using these technologies , whether it be a
smartphone or a tablet. These devices have , in recent years been used to help
people who suffer from all sorts of illnesses, including dementia. However I shall
discuss this topic later in the chapter.
Like everything in today’s world , there is a financial constraint and problem
with dementia. In 2015, the total cost of dementia worldwide was $818 billion.
(Association, 2015)
Unpaid care , social care and medical care made up this sum. This is an
astronomical amount of money, however it was necessary. To further illustrate
the scale of the money being spent annually on dementia, if it was a country , it
would have the 18th
largest economy on earth. The money it costs is greater
than the market values of some of the world’s richest companies, such as
Apple, which was worth $742 billion in 2015. (Abbadessa, 2015)
One of the sad things about the rise in dementia is that it is estimated that the
majority of rise will occur in places with low to middle income rates. Medical
costs will put strains on families and offering medical cards to the affected will
only cost the government more money. (Annette Hastings, 2015)

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Figure 2: shows the estimated rise in dementia over the next 35 years (Prince, 2015)
2.3 Technology
In recent times, the world of technology has grown dramatically and there
seems to be an app or piece of software to help people with everything.
For the older generation, we have seen devices created to help them with their
everyday life. These devices range from hearing aids with built in GPRS, to
locate the wearers location, to floor mats with built in sensors, which can push
out a notification to a relative if there is a sudden stoppage in the movement of
the user. (Wakefield, 2015)
As a child of the 90s, there would be nothing I would like more, than to have a
computer robot companion. It’s an idea that has been talked about for decades
now, but in reality, we have never been as close as we are now to having such a
product. In fact, early his year we were introduced to robotic animals, such as
cats which are created to help keep the elderly company. (Lee, 2016)
More and more older people are using computer technology now. It’s a growing
trend and it’s not uncommon to see men in their 60s using types of technology
such as social networking or the latest apps. Recent research in the United
Kingdom has shown that 50% of pensioners are capable of using social

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networking and YouTube. They are even capable of downloading new software,
as well as using the built into their devices. (Reporter, 2014)
Figure 3: shows statistics on the internet use by pensioners in the U.K (Reporter, 2014)
These numbers are great and show how more and more people are beginning
to use the technology that is at our disposal. However, there are still a massive
amount of elderly people who have no experience what so ever in any form of
modern technology. You have to ask yourself the question “Do older people
want to try these new technologies considering that many, still have yet to get
to grips with even the most basic form of technology, that we, the younger
generation take for granted?”.
Ian Hosking, a lecturer in design for the elderly in Cambridge, says that we need
to teach the basics correctly to the older generation. Although a good
proportion of over 65 year olds are capable of using these technologies, there is
still an even older generation which may be anxious in learning new skills. Ian
says that some older people, over the age of 70, find it a “bit impenetrable” to
learn how to use these devices, whether it be smartphones or tablets. He also
said that his mother, a lady in her 80s, has made valiant attempts to learn a
wide range of technologies, such as kindles and online shopping. However
she is afraid that she would be unable to learn how to do this because she’s too
old. (Hoskin, 2015)

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2.4 Apps for the elderly
2.4.1 What is an app?
An app is a piece of software, which a smartphone, tablet, computer and
laptop, to name but a few, can use to perform a certain task. Apps are being
created every day, and we are constantly seeing new innovative ones which
makes everyday life a little bit easier. The two main places where you can
download apps are the Google play store and the Apple App store. As I am
creating an app to be used by elderly people (65+), I shall discuss the most
popular types of apps that are currently out there for that age bracket.
2.4.2 Facebook
Probably the most popular social networking site is without doubt Facebook.
This is an online network where user can connect to family and friends
throughout the globe. Like most websites today, they have an app which can be
downloaded for free on your phone or tablet. This is a great app for people of
ages from 18 and upwards as it allows the user to text, call or even video call
their friends and family for free, providing they have some sort of internet
connection. It also allows them to view photos of their loved ones, as well as
add in their own ones. Facebook are innovators and are constantly coming up
with new ways to attract new users and to keep current ones. A survey in the
US reports that 49% of over 65s there use Facebook. An increase from 45 from
the previous report. (Duggan, 2015)
Figure 4: shows an elderly woman viewing photos on Facebook

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2.4.3 Skype
Skype is the original video calling service. Here you can create a profile and
synch your contacts from your phone, email and social network page. From
here, you can either voice call or video call your friends from around the world.
This is a brilliant app which enables the user to add in more than one person to
the call. Skype allows for up to 6 people to be in the call at a time. This is a great
invention for people of all ages as you can talk to multiple people at once and
you can see them while you do that. With the recent rise in emigration, it allows
for grandparents to keep in touch with their children and grandchildren.
Figure 5: shows a 3 way skype call between three generations in a family (Skype, 2015)

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2.4.4 Blood Pressure iBP
This app is very useful for most households. It requires a separate monitor,
which connects to your phone and it calculates the blood pressure of the user.
This saves money in visiting the doctor to get blood pressure taken and also
saves time waiting in the queue. You can record your BP history and show it to
your doctor when at an appointment. This saves time for both patient and
doctor. By checking your blood pressure at home on a regular basis using this
app, you can detect sudden changes and prevent illness, potentially saving lives.
Figure 6: shows the GUI of the device (Google, 2014)

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2.4.5 Pill reminder pro
This app here is very useful for someone who struggles with their memory. The
user can input to the app, the pills and medication they take, the dosage and
the days they have to take it. The device will then remind the user whenever
they need to take the medication/pills. This is also useful for the carer who is
looking after a sick loved one. This is another app which many will feel is almost
a necessity, if looking after someone.
Figure 7: shows the interface of the Pill Reminder app (Google, 2014)

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2.4.6 Clock Face Test & Memory Puzzles
This is a common enough type of app. It helps the user evaluate if they are
showing early signs of dementia. Here you are tested on your memory. You are
given an image of a clock and are given the task of dragging the numbers to the
correct place on the clocks face.
Other apps like this can take the shape of memory puzzles. You may be
presented with a series of images for a set time and once that time goes down
you are tasked into describing what was in the picture at the first place. These
apps are good and can even be used by younger people who don’t have any
memory issues.
Figure 8: shows the steps in completing the task of the clock face test (Google, 2014)

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Figure 9: shows a typical memory puzzle app (Google, 2014)
2.4.7 Kindle
This is one of the best creations over the past 10 years. This app allows the user
to download their favorite books and articles onto this tablet. You can
download the app onto your own tablet, or if you would like you can even
purchase kindles tablet, with the app built in. It is then own It is then up to their
leisure on when they want to read the books. This is great for older people who
like to read their old favorite stories. It can provide nostalgia and even bring
back some cherished memories for the user.
Figure 10: shows an elderly man reading a book of his kindle device (Google, 2014)

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2.5 Comparing the Apps
Cost User
profile
Difficulty Video
Calling
Messaging Available
Worldwide
News
outlet for
user
Photo
Upload
Facebook Free Yes Easy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Skype Free
*
Yes Easy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Blood
Pressure
iBP
0.99
€
Yes Easy No No Yes No No
Pill
reminder
pro
0.99
€
No Moderate No No Yes No No
Clock Face 0.99
$
No Moderate No No US only No No
Kindle Free Yes Easy Yes ** Yes*** Yes No No
Memory
Puzzle
>
0.99
€
Yes Moderate No No yes No No
*Charges are added to certain types of calls
** Video calling can be installed on kindle device, not the app
***Messaging can be installed on kindle device, not the app

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2.6 Interaction
When designing an app, you must take into consideration the different type of
people that you intend to use it. Children, adults and senior citizens all have
different needs for the actual design of an app, or even a piece of software.
Apps need to be easy to use for each different type of person. If it is intended to
distribute it globally, then you have to take into consideration the language
barriers. Translation issues can arise as well, due to the fact that online
translation websites are never 100% correct.
In Ireland alone, 70% of the population are using smartphones. That figure is up
a whopping 31% from just 4 years ago. It’s expected to grow even further as
more and more people are buying smartphones. Nearly 50% of the Irish
population has access to a tablet device, be it a kindle or an iPad. This figure is
also up by a whopping 39% from 2012. (News, 2015)
These two forms of modern technology devices are becoming more popular.
Tablets are slowing replacing laptops and home computers, as they provide
similar services at a fraction of the cost. Both are touchscreen devices which
provide easy access to some key pieces of software.
It is common to hear a member of the older generation putting down such
types of technology as they feel we have lost the art of conversation. But they
have to realize that the way people communicate today, has changed
dramatically since their youth. They ways in which conversation is changing is a
positive one. With one click, you can talk to your friend on the other side of the
world. Therefore, it is up to the designers and inventors of modern technology
to come up with ideas which will attract the older generation. Simplifying
current ideas may be a start, as one of the fears of the older people is that they
wouldn’t be able to learn these new skills.

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2.6.1 Interaction Design
A good app needs to provide a valuable service to the user. This service could
be anything from entertainment to a providing answers for a certain topic.
It needs to be easily accessed and used by any user. The great thing about
modern apps, is that since touch screen devices have taken over, it makes the
experience for the user so much easier. Font size is a big issue.
Voice recognition has started to be introduced to many apps. On both the
android and the Apple smartphones, you can hold down a button and ask your
phone to carry out a task. For example, you can ask it to text someone, call
someone or look up something online. We will surely see more of this
technology within the next few years. This type of technology would come in
handy in emergency situations. For example, if your grandmother fell at home,
and no one is there to help her, she could use her voice recognition device to
call for help. A potential life safer is what that is.
Figure 11: shows Apples 'Siri' voice recognition software (Google, 2014)

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2.7 User Design
2.7.1 Font and button size
There has to be a few variables taken into account when designing an app for
elderly people, who may be suffering from memory loss. Studies have shown
that font size is crucial for the older generation. As you get older, roughly from
the age of 40 onwards, your eyesight declines. This is called “presbyopia” and
affects us all. Therefore, if designing an app for someone in the over 65
categories, we have to make sure that the font size we use, is big enough for
the user to see. The font size 36 is a typical choice made by older people when
selecting their preferred size. Buttons themselves need to be big enough for
each user to see. (Campbell, 2015)
Figure 12: shows an elderly man choosing his preferred font size on his tablet (Google, 2014)

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2.7.2 Contrast
Your color vison is another problem with age. As you get older, we become less
able to distinguish between certain colors. The most common problem would
be the way in which certain shades of blue appear to be faded or de-saturated.
In fact, some articles that I have seen online tell would be software engineers to
stay away from the color blue when designing for the elderly.
Figure 13: shows tips for designing for the visually impaired
2.7.3 Sound
Hearing is another area where we are all prone to having problems in our later
years in life. A large percentage of people over 65 have some type of hearing
loss. (14-4235, 2014)
Audio might not be the be all and end all in app development for an older
person, there can still be several obvious implications for certain types of
content. A method to solve this issue would be to add subtitles to any sound or
video clip, to either describe what is going on or to tell the user what is being
said. If the user is visually impaired as well, there can be a function
implemented into the app which narrates the actions the user is doing. It can
even be used to read a book to the user.

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3 Functional and technical requirements
Functional requirements are used to outline the behavior the author intends on
achieving in terms of developing this application. Non-functional requirements
have a major day in the overall quality of the final project. These functional and
non-functional requirements apply to both the patient and their care giver.
Both parties are intended to use this app as it can be beneficial to both
involved.
The Functional requirements of my project is as follows.
The user or care-giver will be able to:
 Upload precious photos from their iPhone or iPad to the photo section of
the app. They can add in a caption to describe what is going on in the photo.
Similar to Instagram, this creates a stream of pictures where you can scroll
up and down to view the different ones. The date of the upload is also added
to the photo. Note that I made the font size of each screen large to enable
ease of vison for the user.
Figure 14: Shows, on the left, the interface for adding an image to the users profile and on the
right, how it is displayed

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 View pictures of major historical events that would have occurred during
their life time. The user would have the option of deciding what decade they
would like to choose and will be presented with historical images that
occurred then, supported by a descriptive text. The author firmly believes
that the user would find great enjoyment out of this function as it can
provide great memories. User will be able to view images from major events
from every decade from the 1940s up until the present decade.
Figure 15: Shows, on the left, a scrollable picture album about the 1960s with text and on the
right, the menu to choose from

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 The user can add tasks to their profile. They can add a description to it and
delete it when they complete the task. This will come in handy for very
forgetful people. It will remind them to do certain things.
Figure 16:Shows the interface for adding a new task to the user profile

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 The user can access news websites from a click of a button. Websites range
from sports to every day news websites. This helps the user stay up to date
with current affairs.
Figure 17: Shows the menu for the news section

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 The user can gain a bit of enjoyment out of the final function of the app.
They can play genre based quiz. When they hit the correct answer they are
presented with a new one. This is a sequential quiz where they cant proceed
further unless they hit the correct answer.
Figure 18: Shows, on the left, the Menu to choose from for the Quiz section, and on the
right, a sample question

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Nonfunctional requirements are as follows:
 Maintenance- If the application crashes, it should be fixed with an update.
Updates can occur regularly to fix ongoing problems and to enhance overall
performance. Updates must also be used to add in new functionalities or
improve the current ones.
 Speed- The application must be fast at operating and not slow in toggling
between its functions.
 Performance- The application has to perform at an adequate level when the
user is trying to interact with it.
 Overall Look-The application have a well laid out and easy to use user
interface, it must be easy to interact with the user.
 The app will keep the user logged in until they logout. This prevents the user
from having to enter passwords every time they use it.
4 Technical Requirements
The author has conducted research on the technologies needed to create this
application and they are highlighted below in detail. Listed below are the ones
used throughout the creation of the project.
4.1 Apple IOS
IOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple. All Apples products use
this operating system. These include the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and
MacBook laptops. Apple update their operating systems every time they
encounter a bug or a major issue working within the system. Currently we are
on IOS version 9.
Some of the features of IOS are:
 Written using a superset of the C programming language, called Objective C.
 Uses its own IDE, xCode when creating code.
 The most popular operating system used in Canada, USA, Australia, United
Kingdom and Ireland.
(Apple Inc, 2015)

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4.2 Objective C
Objective-C is the primary programming language you use when writing
software iOS. It’s a superset of the C programming language and provides
object-oriented capabilities and a dynamic runtime. Objective-C inherits the
syntax, primitive types, and flow control statements of C and adds syntax for
defining classes and methods. It also adds language-level support for object
graph management and object literals while providing dynamic typing and
binding, deferring many responsibilities until runtime. (Kochan, 2011)
Figure 19: Shows an example of objective C code I wrote to add text and an
image to my app
4.2.1 Some features of Objective C (Apple, 2015)
 Objective C is C++ fluent and therefore it can understand and call C++ code.
Used in this configuration, the language is named Objective-C++ and allows
mixing Objective-C and C++ code in the same code statements. It also allows
directly using C++ libraries.
 It is object oriented which means it is organized around objects and not
actions. Here programmers can create relationships between one object and
another. For example, objects can inherit characteristics from other objects.
 Uses dynamic typing which means an object can be sent a message that is
not specified within the interface. Therefore increase flexibility is increased
as it allows the object to take a message and send it to a different object
which can respond appropriately to it.
 This is known as message forwarding or delegation.

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4.3 Swift programming language
Swift programming language is another language developed by Apple and used
for their iOS, OS X, tvOS and watchOS devices. This is a very interactive language
which is rather fun and easy to use, once you get the basics down. This
language works side by side with objective C, but if you’d prefer you can simply
use either or. (Apple, 2016)The current version of swift that the author has used
in the project is swift 2. Certain key words had to be changed to accommodate
the new updated syntax and code. Online resources from Apples developers
website helped with this.
Figure 20: shows Swift code the author wrote to handle errors in creating a username and a
password
4.3.1 Advantages of Swift
 Very easy to use as Apple provide tutorials online on how to create your first
app
 Advanced error handling as suggestions on how to fix errors are always
presented
 Swift is open sourced at swift.org. Here you can find source code and
development builds
 Swift is designed to be fast and as it uses high quality compilers, the code is
turned into optimized code which gets the best use out of modern hardware

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4.4 Parse database
Parse database is a cloud based one which allows for fast development of web
and mobile applications using both android and IOS operating systems. It makes
it easier for the user to create apps by simply taking the back-end out of the
users hands. Behind everything, parse does all the gritty difficult work for you.
(Parse, 2016)
To work with Parse, you simply register and login. Then you can add a project.
You can then choose whether its an objective c, Swift or android application.
Parse then gives you a short tutorial on how to set up the database on the OS
you chose. Once you have created your tables, you are then given a client key
and an application ID. Both these numbers are unique to you and are needed to
create a connection between your app and your parse database.
Figure 21: shows how to add your parse database to your project
Figure 22: shows a table created which stores all registered users credentials

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4.5 xCode
xCode is the IDE used by Apple in the designing of all its software applications. IDE
stands for Integrated Development Environment. This provides comprehensive
facilities to computer programmers for software development. This basically is where
all the program code goes into. This IDE allows for the user to visualize their end
product at each step. You can decide what screen the application is aiming for, i.e.
iPhone 5 screen or iPad screen. It can also be used for prototyping as buttons can be
dragged and dropped onto a blank canvas and links can be added to scroll from page
to page.
4.5.1 Features of xCode
 Source editor where the programmer can write code with syntax highlighting and
message bubbles display warnings, errors and other information relevant to your
code
 Visualize your app in different screens using the storyboard section
 IOS simulator allows the programmer to build, install, run and debug Cocoa Touch
apps in an IOS based simulator. This helps them to visualize their end product on
all Apple devices
 Find bugs in your code before the app is even run by letting the built-in static
analyzer try out thousands of possible code paths in a few seconds
 Very quick working IDE. Simply press Cmd-Shift-O to instantly open any file within
your workspace using the primary editor, or hold the Option key when selecting a
file to open it in the Assistant editor
 Drag and drop system for buttons, views and images, which enables a visual
representation to the user before they begin coding
 Plenty of resources online from Apples website to help you get started in creating
your first app
(Apple Inc, 2015)

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Figure 23: shows the typical layout of xCode , with folders on the left, code in the middle,
options on the right and the debugger on the bottom
Figure 24: shows a portion of the storyboard used in this project with all the different screens
of the app all interlinked to one and other

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5 Case Study
5.1 Introduction
In the case study, the app which was designed by the author will be tested
among several people with different skills in modern computer systems. This
will provide the author with feedback on the positive sides to the project and
help improve and change negative ones, if there is any. Use cases are every
important to developers in any field as they get to see firsthand how their
invention works with the public. It also provides the author with an un-biased
verdict on the overall design. The people I will test the app on vary in age and
computer literacy which will hopefully provide beneficial feedback to the
author. The author of this project intends for all users involved to gain
something beneficial out of it. The use cases will take place using both an
iPhone 6 and a standard iPad. They will both then be compared to see which
one is more suitable for further distribution. This app will be used primarily by
people over the age of 65 and by people looking after an elderly person.
5.2 Users
Below are the users that will test my app and provide feedback to me.
A quick survey will be presented to them to analyze my product.
1. My mother, Brid is a 57-year-old woman with moderate computer skills. She
can use her iPhone to a basic extent but she has never used any apps on the
phone. The author will help her with queries on how to use the application,
however it is rather self-explanatory. She uses reading glasses while reading,
therefore it is important that the font size and screen contrast is adequate to
support this.
Figure 25: User One

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2. My Father, Eddie is a 60-year-old man with absolutely no computer skills
whatsoever. He is slightly visually impaired and therefore I need to assist him
in working with the app.
Figure 26:User two
3. My Uncle Phil is a man in his 60’s who has shown a key interest in my
project. He has no memory loss as of yet but is very keen on using the app
for his own enjoyment. The time travel section is one which interests him.
Figure 27:User four

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4. My grandmother, Kathleen, is a woman in her 80s. She is visually impaired
slightly and has arthritis. Surprisingly she does have a mobile phone but has
never used a computer or app in her life. If she can learn to use my app on a
device, it would be a great success for me.
Figure 28:User three
5.3 Tasks
The author has laid out certain tasks for the above users in order to see how
well the app works. Each user will carry out the same task and their
performance will be rated. They will then rate their overall opinion on the app.
All these tasks will help the user come to grips with touch screen technology
and will be very beneficial to them.
5.3.1 Task 1
The user must register to the app. Here they provide a username, valid email
address and a password. Once successfully registered, the credentials for each
user is sent to the parse database online.
5.3.2 Task 2
The user must log out of the app and successfully log back in. This is a good task
to help the user remember their login details and to prevent them having to
reset passwords.

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5.3.3 Task 3
The user must be able to navigate to the photo section of the app and
successfully compose a new photo, from the phones library, along with a
caption.
5.3.4 Task 4
The user must navigate to the Time Travel section and choose a decade to
travel back to. They will be presented with images of historical events, both
global and local, with text describing what is going on. This function of the app
is one where feedback will be vital.
5.3.5 Task 5
The user must successfully add a task with description to their profile and then
delete it when completed.
5.3.6 Task 6
The user must successfully reset their password. This will help them at times
when they can’t remember their password or accidently log out.
5.4 Using the Tool
To help the selected users in working the app, I installed it on both my iPhone
6(4.7-inch screen) and my iPad (7.7-inch screen). The bigger screen is always
more of a benefit but I wanted to test the app on both devices to see and
compare results. Guidelines where then given out for the users to help them
work the app. These guidelines are really aimed at people with no computer
knowledge or experience with touch screen devices. Out of the 4 users, my
Uncle Phil and my mother Brid didn’t need to use the guidelines as much as the
other 2.

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5.5 Guidelines
5.5.1 To register to device
 At the login screen, touch the ‘Sign Up’ button
 Then at the ‘Please Sign Up’ screen type in a valid email address (more than
7 characters and include an ‘@’ symbol)
 Enter a valid username (more than 7 characters)
 Enter a unique password (more than 7 characters)
 Touch the ‘Sign Up’ button
Expected Result
 An alert message should be popped to the screen saying “Congrats, you
have signed up”
 Details entered by the user are stored securely on the Administrators parse
database account
 Touch the ’Confirm’ button
Figure 29: Shows, on the left the details required to register and on the right, the result

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5.5.2 To login to the device
 Touch the ‘Log Out’ button
 At the ‘Login’ screen enter your username created earlier
 Enter your unique password created earlier
 Touch the ‘Login’ button
Expected Result
 An alert message should be popped to the screen saying “Congrats, you
have logged in”
 Touch the ‘Confirm’ button
 All functions can now be used by the user
Figure 30: Shows, on the left, the details needed to login, and on the right, the message
received when successfully logged in

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5.5.3 Upload a photo from device to app
 Touch either the ‘Photo’ button or the photo picture
 At the photo stream screen touch the ‘Compose’ button in the top right
corner
 At the next screen, touch the ‘Add image’ button
 This button asks you to ‘Allow device to access Camera album’
 Press ‘Allow’
 Select the photo you want to upload
 In the ‘Add Caption’ field (in grey) type in a caption of your choice
 Touch the ‘Compose’ button
Expected Result
 User is taken back to the photo section with their photo now placed at the
top of the page
 Photo is saved to the Parse database
Figure 31: Shows, on the left, the interface to add a picture and on the right, a sample result

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5.5.4 Time Travel section
 Touch the ‘Time Travel’ button on the home screen
 Touch the image of the decade of your choice
 Scroll down and view each image followed by text
 Touch the ‘Back’ button at the top left of the screen to go back to the menu
and choose another decade
 Repeat until satisfied and the touch the ‘Home’ bottom of the screen to
return to the home screen
Expected Result
 The user can successfully navigate to each decade and is able to scroll down
viewing the countless images and text descriptions
Figure 32: Shows a sample screen from the 'Time Travel' section

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5.5.5 Add a task and delete
 Touch either the ‘Task’ button or the task image
 At the next screen touch the ‘add new’ button at the bottom of the screen,
or swipe away to it
 At the ‘Add task’ screen, enter a task name and a task description in the
designated fields
 Touch ‘Add Task’ button
 Swipe away at the bottom buttons or touch the ‘Tasks’ button
 Task is now added
 Swipe left on task and touch ‘delete’ button in order to delete that task
Expected Result
 Task is now placed in the tasks section
 Each task is separated by a line
 User can now delete task as well as add them
Figure 33: Shows the two screens for the add task section of the app with the result in the
right image

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5.5.6 Use the News function
 At the home screen, touch either the ‘News’ button or the news image
 At the next screen you have a choice to choose which news website you
would like to visit
 Touch the logo of the news station of your choice
 Use the website to read an article and press back to bring you back to the
menu again
Expected Result
 After you select a website it brings you to that website, where you can now
browse and read articles or listen to audio files from it.
 All websites are scaled to the size of the screen
Figure 34: shows the Sky sports website displayed through on the app, in the
news section

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6 Analysis of Results
6.1 What happened
From monitoring the 4 users, I have been able to see firsthand how my app
works among the public. The 4 users were asked to give non biased opinions on
the project and in the next part of this chapter, there is a table highlighting their
feedback. It seems that the app is harder to grasp on a smaller screen such as a
mobile phone but on the tablet form (iPad), it is really popular among the 4
users. Vision is a key part in any design in software for older people as their
eyes can’t see as well as a younger person, something which developers may
sometimes take for granted. Ease of access is another key factor. This app was
intended to be easy to use and therefor the easier it is to use, the better the
results obtained.
 User one, my mother found the app interesting and easy to use. She is more
in touch with technology than some of the other users which meant she
took to it like a duck to water. She loved the way it could store photos as she
loves nothing more than taking photos of her grandchildren on her iPhone. I
watched her closely to see how fast she got to grips with the app. She was
definitely the best at using the app and even came up with a few suggestions
on how to improve the app. One of these suggestions was to add in an
online book reader similar to eBooks.
Figure 35: Shows User one using the app on the iPad

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 User two, my father found it a bit difficult at the start as he has no
experience with computers but after going through the guidelines, he
eventually got the hang of it, on the iPad version. As an avid reader of news
article, he really enjoyed using the news section of the app. When asked
how the app could be improved, he suggested adding in a voice over to aid
people with hearing difficulty.
Figure 36: Shows User two using the app on the iPad
 Like User one, User three was very interested in the app. He had some
experience with computer technologies and found it easy to use. He
mentioned that he would like to see a radio section on the phone, similar to
the news section.

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 User four found the device hard to use. It took her a while re-reading the
guidelines to get the hang of it but she felt if she had some sort of
background in using computers, she would have found it easier to use. The
idea of touch screen devices threw her off a bit. She never even heard of
such technology and was surprisingly keen on learning more about it.
Figure 37: shows user 4 using the app on the iPad

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6.2 Some Feedback
A quick question and answer form I had the users fill out after they used my app
for the first time.
Brid Eddie Phil Grandmother
Overall Look “Nice plain look
with easy to read
text”
“Very nice” “Plain but
plain is good
for the target
audience”
“Nice color and
big writing”
Ease of use “Very easy for
beginners like me”
“Had to get
help as am
total
beginner”
“Very easy as I
have been
fiddling with
apps recently”
“Had to learn
how to use it but
it wasn’t too bad”
How useful ? “Quite useful for
people who aren’t
as tech savvy with
smartphones”
“Useful for
people who
want access
to many
things from
the one app”
“I think it’s
useful and has
a definite
future in
some way. It
may need
tweaking”
“wouldn’t be for
me as I am not
interested in
computers”
Would you use
it?
“If I was slightly
older, yes”
“yes but on a
bigger screen
like an iPad”
“Yes if they
add more
futures”
“maybe ten years
ago but probably
too old now”
Rating(out of
5)
4 3 5 3
6.3 Conclusion from feedback
From the answers the users gave me I have received positive feedback. The
plain look and large easy to read text is a huge plus for these people. As eye
vision shortens with age it is important to make the text in this app easy to read,
as it saves them the hassle of searching for their reading glasses. I have also
found out that if I am to distribute my app on the app store, I should make it
more suited towards iPads. iPads are the same price as iPhones nowadays and
come in a wide range of screen sizes, much bigger than the phone version. The
author firmly believes that it would make more sense and be more beneficial to
both the user, and myself, if the app was mainly used on an iPad. It helps with
vision and is easier to use.

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6.4 Evaluation
Overall, this project has been highly enjoyable. I have learned how big of an
issue Dementia and memory loss is, not only in Ireland, but also worldwide. The
research has also embedded important figures and statistics into my memory
now and I now know how rapid the numbers of sufferers of Dementia
worldwide are growing. The importance of utilizing and taking advantage of the
technologies we have at our disposal is key in any attempt to help people
suffering from the disease and also, the people close to them. Although this is a
small college project, it proves that the ever advancing world of computer
technology can play a key role and can help make the life of Dementia patients
and even people without the disease easier and more enjoyable.
From monitoring my grandmother, who at 80 years of age is able to use my app
to be some degree, with absolute no past experience with any type of computer
and is able to gain some enjoyment out of it, is brilliant to see. If more and more
higher level developers take the initiative to create more and more of similar
apps and software to help the elder generation, then I think you will see even
better results. This is the first app I have created and it has been given good
ratings from the people I have tested it on. Therefore, surely a more advanced
developer could make something similar but with better functionality and
distribute it worldwide to help the millions of people affected with some sort of
memory loss.
One element that I found to be important, was that all 4 users preferred the
app working on the iPad. The bigger text and bigger images really appealed to
each user, although both User one and User three had no qualms with using it
on the smaller iPhone as well. At the current moment in time, smartphones are
used by people in the range in age of somewhere between 13-65. Therefore, I
don’t feel this app should be intended for prime use on a smartphone such as
the iPhone. Although both User one and User 3 had such phones, the other two
users either had a standard old mobile phone or no phone at all.

49. 49
Tablets is the way forward in terms of my apps future. Most households now
own at least one and a recent survey in America showed that 50% of adults own
either a tablet or an iPad. (Sterling, 2014)
If every house hold has such a device, then I see no reason to why they can’t
use them to help their elderly relatives. They can help set it up and show them
how to use the device, similar to how I showed my grandmother.
7 Final Conclusion
7.1 What I learned throughout the project
When given this topic as my final year project back in October, I was a little
anxious. I had never built an app before and only flirted briefly with the idea of
creating something from scratch. However, as the weeks went in, I began to
thoroughly enjoy this project.
With the help of my supervisor, Dr. Attract Brennan, I began putting my ideas in
motion. Although this project could have been created in the standard java
based Android studio, I chose to use Objective C and swift code ass part of the
xCode IDE. Both these Apple made programming languages were completely
new to me and I enjoyed learning how to code with them. I learned how
difficult it can be to put your ideas down into a project but with the right help
and correct schedule I found out that it is an obtainable goal.
I also learned a great deal about the topic of Dementia and how it affects not
only the person with the illness, but also their surrounding family. Although,
thankfully I have no close relations with dementia, I now understand the
struggles people go through. Through testing my app, I also found out that it
could potentially be used in helping people with dementia and helping people
looking after patients of the illness as well.
I have also learned that creating apps or even software for any subject can be
fun and interesting. At the start I was hesitant in creating an app to be used by
elderly people but as the project un folded I became more and more interested.
7.2 Future Work
I would like to continue working on this project throughout the summer
months. I am planning to tweak the faults in it and add in more, better

50. 50
functions. I hope to have the app up on the Apple app store sometime in the
summer. As finance isn’t a concern for me at the moment, I would put this app
up for free of charge, with maybe an odd advert to raise some sort of finance to
fund the annual App store bill.
My supervisor, Dr. Attracta Brennan has told me that she feels there could be a
market out there for the app I created. She advised me to contact the startup
funding office in the University during the summer and get feedback on the
project to see if there is potential for it. This has given me a lot of confidence in
my app and I will try my hardest to get it out to the public. I would also be
interested in converting my app to work on android’s phones and tablets a sit
currently only is supported on Apple devices.
I am also thinking about creating a website through HTML to support the app. A
website would be very beneficial as it could provide news articles about
dementia, updates for the app and support for new users.
As I have 2 nieces who are growing, I would love for my next project to be
based around designing an app for children. I’ve seen firsthand through them,
that little children can even get the basics right in terms of using a touchscreen
phone or a tablet/iPad. As people are constantly evolving it is of my belief that
children are only going to get smarter and in 20 years’ time, we will see little
toddlers working with tablet like devices on a daily basis.
From researching app developments online and through books in the library, I
believe I could create a fun, interactive game for children within a few months.
I would also like to create an app using Javas Android studio. I have seen some
of my classmates using this IDE in creating projects and it interests me. I would
like to see if it is better than the one I used, xCode.
8 Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Desmond Chambers for providing the topics to choose
from for this project. I would also like to thank Dr. Attracta Brennan, my
supervisor, as she helped me greatly throughout both semesters. She gave me
advice and bundles and bundles of helpful links to help me with the project,
report and video. I would finally like to thank all the lecturers and tutors in the
Department of Information Technology in NUIG, as they have given me great
help and support over the past 5 years and I could not have completed this
project without them.

51. 51
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 All images used in the production of this app were borrowed from Google and if the app
were to be distributed on the app store, I would seek permission to use said images