DevaWorld helps you see the person, not their dementia
With DevaWorld™, best practice dementia care is at your fingertips Bringing dignity to your dementia care clients – and making dementia care easier and less costly for your organisation.
DevaWorld In Action
DevaWorld wins 2020 Caregiver Friendly® Award
(Today’s Caregiver Magazine, USA)
DevaWorld is full of fun, self-
affirming activities of daily living
Playing together builds stress-free communication bridges
Improving quality of life for people with cognitive disabilities and their supporters
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What Our Clients Say
I shared DevaWorld throughout my community. People were blown away and excited
Kathy HelgersonFounder, SimpleSteps; first Deva-in-theField; La Crosse Wisconsin
“Deva, given its foundational principles in evidence-supported concepts of self, presence, person-hood and efficacy, holds significant promise as an innovative technology with high value impact on quality of life and caregiver burden for people with dementia and their families”
Professor June AndrewsDementia Services Development Centre, Stirling University, UK
It reminded me of someone who was blind, and suddenly could see
Margaret SzaboRN BSc MBA, Director Business Development, Northwood, Canada
Norma loved it! Deva made her forget her distress over missing crackers and her daughter-in-law found the experience fascinating
Shelley KatzActivity Director, Bello Gardens, CA
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The science
DevaWorld is scientifically developed and validated.
We use videogame technology developed during doctoral studies* to construct our dementia friendly interface.
Codesigned with memory care residents, our method, which we call creative engagement, is acknowledged in journals** and at international fora such as Connected Health (Boston, 2019) and the Digital Health Festival (Australia, 2021).
We derived DevaWorld’s interactive stimuli from best practice care used in the actual world. Read key papers here.
Recent clinical*** and research studies**** show that DevaWorld reduces behavioral symptoms including apathy and resistance to care, and enhances mood.
*Salomon, M. (2016). Finding Self in a Virtual World: Digital engagement for people with moderate to severe dementia. (PhD Thesis). <https://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au/items/75d5faf6-16cd-45bd-9e77-bd9f780d38a1/1/>
**Petrovich, T. (2022). The virtual dementia experience. Developments in Neuroethics and Bioethics, 5, 283-312. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.dnb.2022.08.010
***NIH/NIA Grant# 1R43AG071102-01A1 – Assessing a Novel Virtual Environment that Primes Individuals Living with ADRD to Accomplish Activities of Daily Living [in progress] <https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05418296>
****Salomon, M. (2014). Mandy Salomon tracks digital trends in dementia care. Australian Journal of Dementia Care, 3(5), 17-19.
Care Staff
84% improved skillset
78% strengthened communication
50% increase in client cooperation
Participants
76% nominate the “happy” emoji after a DevaWorld Session”Enjoy” is the most common descriptor used after a DevaWorld Session
Care Staff
84% improved skillset
78% strengthened communication
50% increase in client cooperation
Participants
76% nominate the “happy” emoji after a DevaWorld Session”Enjoy” is the most common descriptor used after a DevaWorld Session
Our Community
How DevaWorld uplifts the dementia experience
We stimulate a person’s higher needs of belonging, esteem and self-actualization to make everyday care easier.
01
Amplify Human Energy
We amplify human energy (not replace it) with technology that promotes the active participation of both members of the care dyad.
02
15+ Evidence-based Therapeutic Activities
15+ evidence-based therapeutic activities and person-centered strategies build confidence and agency.
03
Social and Environmental Interactions
Deva World is a calm and meaningful place full of social and environmental interactions for increased communication and understanding.
04
Real World Outcomes
Real world outcomes happen after playing DevaWorld (a priming effect): ADLs are managed better after a DevaWorld Session.
With DevaWorld, it’s PERSONAL!
Each participant has a personal profile. Families can help by uploading meaningful content to their dashboard
Our White Paper
Case Study
“Supporting well-being through virtual world play”
Learn how a caregiver can build a bridge to engagement and communication for a senior with dementia
Grounded in science
Deva World was built from the ground up with a residential community receiving full-time memory care, informed by dementia therapy best practices.
The caregiver/player relationship is integrated at the design level. This joint experience is key to players’ improved mood and sense of wellbeing.
The project was developed by Australian creative media-maker and social-scientist, Mandy Salomon PhD, who, while researching online virtual communities at Melbourne’s Swinburne University, observed that people can be more themselves in a virtual world than they can in the actual world.
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