Yesterday, the city of Nice launched e-CALMAN. This mobile application allows individuals with Alzheimer’s disease to explore in detail the three key spots of the Promenade du Paillon. An accessible, easy-to-use, and fun tool.
The Promenade du Paillon opens with the water mirror, bustling with people under the still oppressive heat of the late afternoon. Phone in hand, I launch the app (which requires Bluetooth), and a window appears. This will happen each time I find myself in front of one of the three locations chosen by e-CALMAN, namely the water mirror, the Massena statue, and the children’s playground. For each attraction, a small quiz challenges me, requiring me to observe a bit to answer. It is followed by brief bits of general knowledge and/or an invitation to stimulate my memory by recalling a memory. The sentences and questions are short, with the most understandable vocabulary possible.
Autonomous and Practical
e-CALMAN aims to be autonomous: a notification sounds when I pass by each spot. Very straightforward, the main screen consists of the Promenade’s path, and just touching the icons starts a questionnaire. Among other information, I have to guess the number of jets in the water mirror or the animal (a whale) formed by the large structure of the children’s playground. Simple elements to note. A part of reflection, related to each place, is also associated at the end of the quiz. A memory exercise that aligns with the app’s intent. It asks me, for example, to recall a significant childhood moment in a small children’s garden or to resurrect a possible old conversation with a personality.
An App Worth Further Development
A few lines of general knowledge add to the game. The app exercises my ability to locate monuments in the immediate environment. For instance, with the water mirror: I have to note the number of steeples visible from my position. I answer correctly and sometimes receive words of encouragement, like “well done” or “bravo.”
Highly accessible, e-CALMAN fulfills its mission: helping to easily discover the spots along the Promenade du Paillon. The speed at which I visit the locations (20 minutes slowly) and answer the questions reveals the tool’s limitation, its too-small scope. Including other significant cultural spots in Nice would complement this tool, which is worthy of further development.
