Vera is specifically designed for people with dementia. The World Health Organization estimates that between 5% and 8% of seniors aged 60 and over suffer from this degenerative condition at some point.
Such was the case for the grandmother of Nicc Johnson, one of the founders of Vera. “My oma (grandmother) had Alzheimer’s at a time when dementia was not well understood,” he explained on the Vera website.
“It wasn’t until much later in my life I learnt that dementia is not a normal part of ageing.”
Johnson and his associate Stephen Hunt hope to help people with dementia and their loved ones fight cognitive aging with Vera. The app uses algorithms to create music playlists tailored to each of its senior users.
The goal? To stimulate many areas of their brain and bring back memories.
‘More present and serene’
United States researchers found in 2018 that music could improve the mood of people with senile dementia. To demonstrate this, they had about 30 patients in a nursing home listen to their favourite songs for about 20 minutes.
They observed that participants in the study seemed more present and serene, and also interacted more with those around them.
Vera hopes to have the same effect among seniors suffering from dementia. The platform analyses millions of songs from the Universal Music Group’s catalogue to identify those that will most stimulate the cognitive system of each senior.
“When someone comes onto the platform, we ask them where they were born and when, and then where they grew up when they were 15 to 35. If that was Beijing, it’s going to be very different music they were surrounded by compared to someone in the US,” Hunt told “Variety”.
These songs are then divided into three types of playlists: songs to relax, songs to boost energy, and songs to reminisce.
Vera is currently available on iOS in the United Kingdom, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. While seniors with dementia or their loved ones can purchase a monthly or annual subscription, the app’s founders are mainly interested in having it used in retirement homes and other facilities for the elderly.