A new virtual assistant called e-DiVA is poised to transform day-to-day life for families who look after someone with dementia, offering personalised coaching, local service listings and peer support in four languages at the tap of a phone screen.
Developed by the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) with partners in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Vietnam, e-DiVA adapts the World Health Organization’s evidence-based iSupport training and layers it with interactive features designed for carers who rarely have a spare minute.
Against that backdrop the five-year, NHMRC-funded project has built a platform that:
- iSupport online course and videos to improve caring skills and knowledge
- Diary to assist with organisation
- Peer support to connect with other carers
- Voice search option
- Recommended content tailored to individual caring needs
- Available dementia care services according to area
Because the software is culturally adapted for each country, carers can read, watch and chat in English, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia or Māori, and see advice that reflects local customs and healthcare systems. Ethno-specific agencies such as the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association and CO.AS.IT. provided ground-level insights so that “help” resonates rather than patronises.
Although e-DiVA’s official launch was marked last week at a two-day gathering of dementia experts in Sydney, the real story is its promise of round-the-clock backup—something bricks-and-mortar services cannot match. By slotting into quiet moments between tasks, the assistant gives carers the practical tips and emotional validation that research says keep families together longer.
The development team is now focusing on usage data and user feedback gathered during pilot roll-outs. If engagement mirrors early trials, NARI expects the model to be exported to additional low- and middle-income countries where formal dementia services are scarce and family support is the default.
For the 55 million people living with dementia—and the even larger circle of unpaid relatives who support them—e-DiVA could become the most approachable member of the care team: always on duty, fluent in local culture, and costing little more than a handset and an internet signal.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
