26 April 2012 Last updated at 02:44 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

The drifting smells of a Bakewell tart, guide dogs for the mind and hi-tech wristbands could all have a future in helping people with dementia.

They are some of the winners of a competition by the Design Council and the Department of Health to develop new ideas in care.

The winners are all prototypes, but the aim is to produce them on a mass scale.

David Cameron has described dementia as a “national crisis” which affects 800,000 people in the UK.

The slow death of the brain in dementia affects memory, language and understanding. One of the problems can be forgetting to eat, which is what one of the design ideas is trying to overcome.

The “Ode” project works on the same principle as smells wafting from the kitchen making you hungry. It pumps fragrances of food into the air to whet the appetite of people who are not eating.

Lizzie Olstrom, who is part of the design team, told the BBC: “So much of appetite is about smell, the sensory anticipation of food. [Ode] uses fragrances to re-awaken appetite.”

So far they have used smells of a Bakewell tart, citrus and spices. However, the tempting aroma of fish and chips has not translated so well. “Would you want vinegar and wet paper smells in the house?” she asked.

So far, she said the product had “compelling results” after being tested in homes. However, larger-scale tests will be needed to see if the product really helps people.

See the rest here:
Bakewells and dogs vs dementia

Source:
http://www.longevitymedicine.tv/feed/