Chris Hemsworth uses 'reminiscence therapy' to help his dad's Alzheimer's

Chris Hemsworth's new documentary, "A Road Trip to Remember," takes viewers on a motorbike adventure around Melbourne and Australia's Northern Territory. His costar and father, 71-year-old Craig Hemsworth, is right alongside him through the dirt and rocky terrain, despite living with early stage Alzheimer's disease. Chris Hemsworth has a genetic predisposition to the disease. In this USA Today article, journalist Madeline Mitchell covers the making of this documentary while taking a deep dive into reminiscence therapy. After reading the excerpt below, check out the full article on USAToday.

How to use reminiscence therapy

Lowe suggests making memory boxes. Place a few objects that relate to the same topic, like cooking, in a box. With the patient, you can look through the box, smell the spices, hold the whisk and talk about cooking and favorite recipes together.

Use your loved one's life story, Lowe says. "If they played a harmonica, put a harmonica in the box. What kind of toy did they play with (as a child)?"

Developers are beginning to use artificial intelligence to facilitate reminiscence therapy, Khan says. He's starting trials using virtual reality with patients who are at high risk for dementia.

There are also chatbots who can help jog patients' memories. NewDays, a startup, has a clinician-monitored AI tool for dementia patients in Washington, California, Texas and Florida. The AI companion, Sunny, asks patients questions and prompts storytelling and memory exercises through conversation and photographs.

"The goal is not really to substitute human interaction. The goal is to, as much as possible, empower the person to practice and build confidence and have more human interaction," says Babak Parviz, NewDays founder and CEO.

Andrea Pidgeon's 82-year-old mother, Tanna Jean Pidgeon, started using Sunny after she was diagnosed with dementia in July.

"The older she gets, the more of an introvert she becomes," Andrea Pidgeon says. "With Sunny, it's been amazing because it stimulates her and it keeps her going."Sunny is exactly such an AI, built by a startup called NewDays AI.

Photo credit: Andrea Pidgeon.