Lighten Dementia, one of the five winning start-ups of The Education University of Hong Kong’s Education and Social Entrepreneurs (EASE) Fund Scheme 2019/20, shone in “The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) Inno Impact Project” competition and received a grant of HK$200,000 to further develop their innovative idea and scale up their business.

Founded by alumna Christine Chan Ka-kei, who is currently a teacher, and her team of designers and healthcare professionals, Lighten Dementia is a social venture dedicated to creating cognitive gaming experience for the elderly with dementia.

“In 2015, there were already over 100,000 people with dementia in Hong Kong,” said Chan. “However, the resources available to meet the cognitive training needs of people with dementia and their caregivers are inadequate. What’s more, the public still has a limited understanding towards dementia. We therefore set up Lighten Dementia with the aim of removing the obstacles encountered by people with dementia, so that they can enjoy a socially meaningful life, and building a more inclusive environment for the dementia community.”

Lighten Dementia has three main business models: (1) the design, development and manufacture of localised game-based cognitive training products focusing on six neurocognitive domains and physical functions for elderly people with dementia; (2) the development of a game-based cognitive training curriculum using cognitive stimulation therapy to engage elderly people with dementia in fun and systematic cognitive training; and (3) service-learning programmes for tertiary and secondary students to understand dementia by using their products.

“Apart from providing training, seed funding and access to other funding opportunities like Inno Impact, the EASE Fund Scheme connected the team with Professor Leung Chi-hung, Co-Director of Integrated Centre for Wellbeing of EdUHK (I-WELL), who serves as their academic advisor.” Chan said, “Professor Leung shared with us his current novel research in therapeutic play and assessment methodology, which we can really use to improve our services and products. We are also in discussion with him to collaborate with I-WELL in developing features of Internet of Things in our upcoming cognitive games.”