Talking teddy bear gives patients with dementia a new way to connect
Patients with dementia and memory issues could soon have a new way to connect.
Cue Teddy is a teddy bear that not only talks but listens. It engages with individuals with memory disorders.
Cue Teddy is the brainchild of Dr. Roger Nelson. The retired physical therapist's family dealt with dementia, and he saw a need that wasn't being met.
"They lacked this ability of being able to talk and to think and then to connect with other people," he said.
That's where Cue Teddy comes in.
Nelson teamed up with Rod Tosten, the vice president of IT at Gettysburg College, to bring the bear to life.
"Cue Teddy cues the individual to move and to stay active," Tosten said.
The bear runs through a series of questions and commands, tapping into three areas of the brain: thought, motion and touch.
"One of the things we're testing is what colors work well, what kind of fabric works well," Tosten said.
So why a teddy bear?
"Everybody kind of remembers their first teddy bear they ever got and the name of the teddy bear," Nelson said.
Making people remember is part of the goal.
"I hope that a lot of people adopt it and use it because it's a valuable tool," Nelson said.
"To be able to help other people is just amazing. I just love working on this," Tosten said.
Cue Teddy is still in the early stages of development. When it's ready, Nelson and Tosten will be looking for a partner to mass produce it.
The bear can also be tailored to meet the specific needs of patients.