Age, memory and time : practices and support

This study of the capabilities and difficulties of memorization and recalling prospective tasks in the elderly provides a basis for designing services adapted to the needs of this population. Questionnaires were used in a three-pronged approach. The first objective is to evaluate this population's ability to recall future events/activities (e.g. doctors' appointments, taking medicine, etc.) and resumption of an interrupted activity. The second objective is to identify a system of resources to support memorization and task recall in aging subjects. The third objective is to determine the activities that need to be recalled and personal preferences for how these activities should be recalled (frequency, media, etc.) The study group consisted of 35 subjects, age 65 to 87, all living at home: 10 with Alzheimer's, 12 with MCI (Mild cognitive impairment) and 13 with no specific complaints about memory. We describe the study context, design of the study and prospects that arise from our initial results.