About Us
We (Ali & Carolyn) founded MemoryCo in 2015 with a personal connection to the problem — both of us had grandparents who suffered from Alzheimer's. Carolyn brings a background in business, art, and working with seniors. Ali's PhD training is in Neuroscience and Memory. Together, we built an engagement platform grounded in cognitive science and designed for the realities of senior living. Our light bulb moment came when the idea dawned on us to allow the use of personalized images and content in the games. Using content that is actually relevant to the seniors playing (i.e. faces of people they know or images of familiar things/places, and trivia based on their own experiences) is very impactful: it engages them more since the content is familiar, it helps build connections, and it triggers long term memory. We continued our research and development as we built and expanded our games and activities. We did workshops at various AL and MC facilities to see what resonated with seniors, what they liked, and how to best serve them.
Since then we have gained a lot of insight in regards to senior care and the challenges involved. We have the deepest respect and gratitude for Activity Directors and Life Enrichment professionals. We have seen first-hand how challenging it is, how much energy is needed, and how heart-wrenching it can be. They are the most amazing people with one of the most important jobs in senior living. They need more recognition for what they do. They need more support all around. After gaining these insights, our passion was fueled even more. What a group of amazing and hard-working people. How wonderful it would be to help them and, through them, help seniors. With continuously shrinking budgets, we knew there was a need for an affordable engagement platform in senior living — and we built the company to keep it that way. Today, MemoryCo's platform, EngagedSenior, serves over 1,000 communities across independent living, assisted living, and memory care. We continue to invest in the platform every day — adding new content, expanding our games, and supporting the activity professionals and organizations that rely on us.
MemoryCo Tablets
We wanted to help bridge the gap between seniors and technology. Because of this, we incorporated a tablet lease option with our program. What makes our tablets unique is that we curate them specifically for senior use. They are simple, straightforward, and easy to use. They have larger than average icons, text, and fewer apps and programs, simplifying the whole experience to take out the potential frustrations of using a tablet. Also included with our tablets are stylus pens (greatly helps shaky or arthritic hands), a cord to hook up to the TV for group games, and a simple tutorial that quickly teaches seniors the correct pressure to use. Seniors who have never used a tablet before consistently pick them up quickly, and engagement with the devices has been consistently high across communities.
We have recently been showcased as an innovative company at the MedTech Innovator Conference in San Diego, CA, and are actively working with senior living communities and caregivers across the world.