Sunday 21 April 2013

Day Clock for people living with dementia

Day Clock for Digital Photo Frames

















This particular Day Clock was created for my Mother, who is 86, and was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2011. It is in her bedroom, and sits next to her TV, which she watches most of the time. It is clearly visible to her for most of the day, and throughout the night. I have made the files needed to create a similar clock, freely available to all who would find it useful for a parent, relative, friend or patient, who has dementia. There is a similar, commercially available Day Clock for people with Dementia, created by the Bath Institute of Medical Engineering (BIME), but many Digital Photo Frames can be used in a similar way to create this Day Clock.

For those wishing to find out more about BIME the link is here www.bime.org.uk, or you can contact their Deputy Director by email here tonyhusband@bime.org.uk. If you wish to purchase the BIME DayClock then please visit www.day-clock.com.

The Digital Photo Frame illustrated above, is a Motorola MLC800, this is the model I have used to create the Day Clock. As you can see, it has its own built in clock and calendar - these can be switched off, if they are not required (I find the clock and calendar useful, but they are of no significance to my Mother). The clock has only been up and running a week, and I have already noticed that the "It is now" part of the message is irrelevant - so I will produce a new set of slides where these words are omitted.

PLEASE NOTE! There are at least two versions of the MLC800, and not all models seem to be able to display the time and calendar as well as the image. Others have reported that the Motorola MF801 does work.

Before you consider paying for an expensive Digital Photo Frame based Day Clock, try this. Why? Because Day Clocks do not work for all people with dementia. This way, you can try it out, and if it works, then fine. If it doesn't, you'll still have a photo frame, that can be loaded with images from your loved one's past, to use as a visual prompt to encourage conversation about their past memories - the ones they retain the longest.

The principle behind this clock is to enable those with Alzheimer's and other forms of Dementia, to have a better perception of the time of day. Rather than displaying the time, the clock displays a period during the day or night, along with the actual day.

The current slides have a photo background relevant to the period of day, to help with visual perception. There will soon be other types of slides. Slides with a coloured background, again relevant to the period of the day. Slides on a white background for Morning and Afternoon, and a black background for Evening and Night. Or slides simply on a non-changing black or white background.

This particular set of images is optimised for use on an 8” frame with a 4:3 aspect ratio and an 800x600 pixel display. Suitable 7" or 8” frames can be obtained for around £30 to £40. There will soon be slides for 16:9 apsect ratio frames with a 480x234 pixel display.

 

How it works


Many Digital Photo Frames allow for a slide show duration of one hour, for each slide. In order to use this system, you need to ensure that the Digital Photo Frame used, allows for a one hour slide duration.

The system uses four separate periods for each day – Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Night. Morning and Afternoon each have a six hour duration, Morning – 6am to 12 noon, Afternoon – 12 noon to 6pm. Evening has a four hour duration – 6pm to 10pm, and Night has an eight hour duration – 10pm to 6am.

The day displayed does not change until the Morning period, so for example, Sunday Night remains until 6am the following day when it then becomes Monday Morning, in line with the perception that we go to sleep on one day (Sunday), and wake up the following day (Monday). This is to avoid any confusion that may be caused by changing say Monday Night into Tuesday Night at midnight. If someone was to wake up at 2am after going to sleep on Monday Night, and the display tells them it is now Tuesday Night, they may think they have been asleep for over 24 hours.

File naming system


The image file naming system is based simply on a day number and an hour number. Monday is 1, Tuesday is 2 etc. The hours are simply based on the 24 hour clock. The slide for Monday (day 1) at midnight is named 1_00 (day 1, 00:00 hours), the slide for Wednesday (day 3) at 2pm is named 3_14 (day 3, 14:00 hours). All of the daily periods can be changed, simply by copying and pasting the relevant images and then changing the file name in accordance with the above naming principle.

Changing the duration of day periods


The basic 6 hour principle, is used to separate the two daytime periods – Morning and Afternoon, whilst a 4/8 split is used for the two night time periods, 4 hours for Evening and 8 hours for Night. These periods can be adjusted to suit the person concerned. Evening, for example, can be shortened - so that it exists between just 6pm and 9pm, after which it becomes Night. To do this, all that needs to be done, is to copy a Night image for a particular day, paste it, and rename it to replace the later Evening images. So, for example, where Monday Evening at 9pm is 1_21, the Monday Night copy, would be renamed 1_21 to replace it. The night period would then be 9 hours, instead of eight. Repeat this, for each day of the week.

When to adjust the duration of day periods


If the person concerned is known to you, and their daily patterns are also known, then duration adjustments can be made in accordance with your own personal knowledge of that person. If, however, such a pattern is unknown, it would be advised that adhering to the basic 6 hour daytime and 4/8 hour nighttime principle, would probably the best solution in the short term.

Setting up the Digital Photo Frame


Once the files have been downloaded, extracted (from the zip file), and any duration adjustments have been made, copy the images (not the folder) to any of the types of media accepted by your Digital Photo Frame, and insert the media into the Photo Frame. Set up the slide show, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, for each slide to change after one hour, and in sequence (don't use random, otherwise the day clock will display the wrong images, at the wrong time).

Again, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, advance to the relevant slide for the day and hour of the day of the set up. So, for example, if you have set it up on Thursday at or after 3pm, and before 4pm, advance the slide show to image 4_15 (Thursday (Day 4) at 15:00 hrs). As long as the slide show is set to be on permanently, the clock will now change according to the day period and the day.

If your Digital Photo Frame has a “Night Mode”, ensure that this is switched to “Off”, otherwise the sequence of slides may be interrupted during the night, and will no longer display the correct slide for the time of day.

If your Photo Frame does not change the image on the hour (many do), it is advisable to set up your Photo Frame as close to the change of the hour as possible.

Adjusting for Daylight Saving Time


When the time comes to change in accordance with daylight saving time adjustments, either advance (Spring) or go back (Autumn) one slide, so that the day clock reflects the time adjustment.

Key requirements for suitable Digital Photo Frames

 

  • 7" or 8” diagonal display size
  • 800x600 pixel display
  • 4:3 aspect ratio
  • 1 hour slide duration
  • Auto dim for night time use
  • Minimum imternal memory of at least 16Mb, or external digital media such as SD cards, USB flash etc. (External digital media normally needs to be purchased separately)


 

Use of this system


No guarantees are made that this system will work successfully on any Digital Photo Frame used. However, if you do use it and find it useful, or indeed have any suggestions for improvement, then please contact info@zkidoo.co.uk.

Other languages


The slides are currently only in English, it is my intention, over the next few months, to create slides for other languages, initially these will be French, German, Italian and Spanish. Other languages will be added later.

Download images here: 

 

File type: zip (containing 168 JPEG images), file size: 13Mb. www.zkidoo.co.uk is my own website address. The file has been tested and found to be free of any viruses, trojans etc. If, however, you have any concerns, then please ensure that the file is scanned before opening.

http://www.zkidoo.co.uk/DayClock.zip

I have also created a set of files which do not include the words "It is now", these are available to download below.
















http://www.zkidoo.co.uk/DayClockDayPeriod.zip


Comments

Please feel free to comment, and if you do use the system on any Digital Photo Frame other than the model mentioned here, I would be grateful to hear from you to let me know how it worked, and any changes that may need to be made, especially regarding the frame settings. I will then be able to compile a list of the most compatible frames - which I will publish here once this information has been received.

Also - please feel free to share this blog with anyone you know who may find it useful. It's free, and I want as many people to benefit from it as possible.

Downloads and use


The system is free to download and use, for private use, in accordance with the appropriate Creative Commons License (see below).

Digital Photo Frame manufacturers - you are free to use this system under a negotiable license - contact me for further details. Non licensed use, will be pursued in accordance with international copyright laws.
 

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

109 comments:

  1. This is a fabulous idea. I stumbled across your blog looking for a 'Day Clock' for my mother. She has a cell phone and calls me (and others) at all times of the night. (I was woken this morning at 6am and 6:20am with her phone call from her room just 40 feet down the hall.) I've downloaded your zip file and will be purchasing a digital photo frame this afternoon.

    I, like you, am the primary caregiver for my 85 year old mother. I'm also 'blogging' about my journey. www.ljbj-changingplaces.blogspot.com/

    Again, thanks for sharing.

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    1. That's great! Let me know how it goes :)

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  2. Thank you so much for this idea and for creating the images. I too was searching for a good day clock for a relative who is experiencing dementia. In searching for android or ipad apps I found this post and couldn't be happier. What an awesome idea. i did find one electronic day clock that displays the day and time, but it's only text based. Having color and images is so much more powerful. Thank you again and may god bless those in need.

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    1. Happy to be of help, especially for those caring for, and those living with, dementia :)

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  3. What a brilliant idea! I love it. This is something you might flog in long-term care homes!

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  4. The "commercially available" similar dayclock you mention was researched and designed by us, a registered charity called the Bath Institute of Medical Engineering. We research and design solutions for disability and dementia is a major focus of our work. The dayclock is available from our commercial partner here www.day-clock.com and we receive a generous donation to our charitable work for each one sold. We trialed several versions of the wording and information displayed with many people living with dementia and their relatives and carers and finally settled on "Now it's ....." as it proved to be the most effective.
    Given your statement about non licenced use being pursued in accordance with international copyright laws and the fact that you are asking for a "donation" we would have appreciated it if you had contacted us or our partner before launching your "similar" solution.
    As a registered charity we are dependent on income from our designs as well as charitable donations in order to continue with our work helping people with dementia.
    Perhaps you would like to consider making a donation to us?
    www.bime.org.uk



    .

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I certainly would consider making a donation, however, as of yet I have received no money whatsoever from "sharing" the files for the clock. If I do receive any money, then rest assured I will quite happily donate a percentage.

      As you can also see from my profile, I am a full-time carer, one of the several million unpaid carers in the UK.

      The pursuance of non-licensed use applies only to Digital Photo Frame manufacturers, who may wish to use the files, on mass-produced Digital Photo Frames. As of today, none has contacted me, and as far as I am aware, none are using the files.

      Individuals are free to use the files at no cost to themselves.

      Hopefully this should clear the matter, and if I can be of any assistance to your charity, please let me know.

      Delete
    2. BIME may also wish to visit http://www.gazwire.com/zeezap_6.html
      Their Android version is not free, and is available to download for $9.99. Like mine, theirs uses images and words, and like mine, they use the words "It is now..."

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    3. As of 2/1/2014 - The Zeezap is distributed by Three Bees non-profit association and is available for download at Google play FREE!! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Zeezap

      Delete
  5. DO THEY OFFER THIS PRODUCT FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS?

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    1. Not sure about BIME's product, but if someone would provide the translations, I can make my files available in Spanish. Free to download, as stated in an earlier comment.

      Delete
  6. Martyn,
    I'm not surprised that you have not received any donations as one of the key findings of our research was that simplicity is key. I think may people will find it too complicated to create their own dayclock. We built simplicity into our product in many ways including the fact that the time is pre-set in the dayclock so that it can simply be taken out of the box and plugged in. It has a battery backup so that it remembers the time if it is unplugged or switched off during use (most photoframes do not do this). We found that many users do tend to switch electrical devices off so we identified this as a significant requirement.
    Also - and this is potentially more confusing for people living with dementia - many photoframes do have an inbuilt clock which allows your images to advance but we found that they tend to be inaccurate and will cause the display to drift over time, resulting in it saying Morning when its actually Afternoon etc. As you can imagine this problem results in much confusion and in all likelihood will exacerbate the time orientation problems experienced by people with dementia rather than help the situation. I suggest you make people aware of this risk.

    I can only reiterate that our product has been thoroughly researched and tried and tested, is designed and manufactured professionally to address the problems of time orientation experienced by many people with dementia and is available in the USA, Canada and Australia as well as in the UK. We also have plans to make it available in several other languages.
    It is available to purchase from www.day-clock.com or from the Alzheimers Society.
    If anyone would like to talk to us about this or our other designs for people with dementia please email me tonyhusband@bime.org.uk

    Tony Husband
    Deputy Director
    Bath Institute of Medical Engineering

    ReplyDelete
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    1. "Before you consider paying for an expensive Digital Photo Frame based Day Clock, try this. Why? Because Day Clocks do not work for all people with dementia. This way, you can try it out, and if it works, then fine. If it doesn't, you'll still have a photo frame."

      Tony,
      In Martyn's defense, as you can see it is clearly stated "to try it out". I live in the United States and wanted to purchase your clock, but cannot afford to spend the asking price, especially if it may not work. I just recently purchased a talking clock which is a Med Minder but the one I care for cannot understand it. As far as that app that is available. The wording is too small. So Martyn's idea is definitely a god way to try it out. As a matter of fact, since I live with the person, I may just print up the images and change them myself to see if that works before I invest in a photo frame. I wanted to buy the BIME DayClock, but actually may need 2 so the cost would be a bit too steep for me. Martyn is truly helping me by graciously supplying the images at no cost whereas you seem to be worried about losing money. To be perfectly honest, I came across this page because I was looking for a way to get your clocks cheaper because I just cannot afford yours. Finding Martyn's page was a Godsend and you cannot put a price on that.

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    2. Thank you for your kind words of support Joe. Printing the images, and trying them manually at first, is a great idea. Let me know how it goes.

      Best wishes,

      Martyn

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  7. Tony, thank you.

    Yes you are quite right that many would find it difficult to create their own day clock. The files I created are definitely for those who have some understanding of IT and associated technologies. And who are able to monitor the Digital Frame used.

    The issue of unplugging has been discussed elsewhere, on the Alzheimer's Society's forum in fact. And yes, most Digital Frames do not remember the time, in so far as image display is concerned.

    Regarding time inaccuracies, I can only vouch for the model I have used, which having been running continuously now since April, is still very accurate. Obviously I cannot vouch for other makes and models. Hence the reason I highlighted the model used at the start of the post.

    I will also add a link to your site, and your email address, for anyone interested in your designs and products, along with a link to Day-Clock.

    As I said before, if there is anything I can do to help BIME, please let me know. If you'd like to visit my other blog at http://design4dementia.blogspot.co.uk you will see what I am trying to do to help others caring for someone living with dementia. I am also now working with my local NHS Trust as a carers representative on one of their strategy committees.

    It is not, and never has been my intention, to deny BIME of any potential funding that it may receive from sales of the DayClock. Rather, it is my intention to help those who may not be able to afford one, by providing a less expensive solution.

    Perhaps we could work together in some way.

    Martyn

    ReplyDelete
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    1. After emailing BIME, on two occasions, one to the Deputy Director, BIME has failed to reply or acknowledge. Thus, anyone else expecting a response from them, may have to wait some time.

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  8. Thanks Martyn for your work and sharing of the information. I am going to bookmark this and try it for a friend who is starting to have trouble with time. I think he will appreciate the pictures also.

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    1. You're very welcome Cindy. Let me know how you get on, and if it works for your friend. :)

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    2. YES, thank you Martyn.
      Looking forward to the plain slides as well.
      The images that match the time of day for some, but many caregivers have told me they tell the person to look outside, but that still does not help.
      By the way, your directions are very clearly stated and if the person does not have the ability to do it, I am sure they must have someone in the family who is tech savvy to help them with it. Thank you again!

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  9. Thank you Martyn, it's very kind of you to share your file and what a great idea. It wasn't too difficult to set up on an old unused fujifilm photo frame that we had, and has saved mum money at a time when we are being asked to self fund so many items to help cope with her memory loss. I too thought that the DayClock was very expensive, for what appeared to be a digital photo frame.

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    1. Thank you Anne, and so happy you found the files of use for your Mum. Please let others know about this blog, and a very special thank you to you - I'm sure you know why :)

      Delete
  10. Joe - Rhode Island, U.S.A.8 September 2013 at 06:58

    Martyn,
    It's me, Joe again with an update on the Day Clock.
    First off, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU!

    If you remember, I first tried it out by printing your images then I would tape them to the window and change them during the course of the day which worked out well until I received my own digital frame. In fact, placing them on the glass would actually make them look lit up during the day.
    I finally received my photo frame about a week later. Since I decided to place the frame on the counter in the kitchen, I purchased a 7" frame on eBay. Mine is made by Shomi. Not only does it fit perfectly and match the kitchen, it also gives a soft nightlight glow at night. Only one small problem was the frame's longest interval was only 3 minutes and your images did not fit the frame size correctly. So first I had to crop your images to fit the entire 16:9 viewing area. Once I did that, It was just a matter of creating multiple images which is very easy to do. Once I figured out how many I had to make for each interval, I did so then placed the images in a folder for each day. My computer actually numbered them so that helped. Next I went to Office Max and purchased the smallest SD card they had which was 4GB. After transferring the images onto the card, I placed it into the frame and BAM! I now had a day clock! After a week I noticed I had to remove a few images to allow for transitioning time. Now it's working great! I wish I could send you a photo of it. After a total cost of just under 22 dollars(that's a huge savings from $119.00!), I now have an awesome looking day clock in my kitchen thanks to you! It is working perfectly and changes right on time, but most of all, it is helping mom! And that's all that matters!

    Your friend in RI,
    Joe

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  11. Hi Joe,

    That's great! If you want to send a pic please do, you can send it via http://www.zkidoo.co.uk/contact.htm.

    Although the images were created for a 4:3 aspect ratio, thanks to the area at the bottom of each image, they can, as you say, be easily cropped to fit a 16:9 aspect ratio.

    Thanks again for the great feedback, and it's brilliant that your new day clock is helping Mom.

    Your friend in the UK,
    Martyn

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  12. Hi Martyn

    I have downloaded your Zip file and I am really looking forward to setting this up for my 86 year old mum, this is what she really needs at the moment.
    I have tried to purchase the Motorola MCL800 but it appears they are not available in Australia and the UK WEB sites advise they cannot freight these to Australia.
    Can you please recommend another make and model that you are aware of that operates without any fuss.

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    1. Hi Rob, I'll have a look, but any digital photo frame, that will display an image for an hour then change to the next, with a 4:3 aspect ratio, should be fine.

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  13. Hi Martyn, Many thanks for sharing a wonderful idea. I've just received the Motorola model you mentioned and have the photos loaded, however I can't find how to have the time on the screen also....any suggestions?
    Regards
    Julie

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    1. Hi Julie, I think you need to select Settings on the menu screen, then select Modify Clock & Calendar, under Background, select Photo - the time and calendar should then display along with the photos. Hope this helps.

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    2. Hi Martyn,

      Super product, thank you for packaging this up for everyone. I think the Motorola MLC800 must have changed: like Julie I cannot use the mode of showing the pictures and having the calendar. Going into Settings, there is no Modify Clock and Calendar... and the closest I can get to background is Themes, and there are 4 preset themes. If you have any ideas why we're failing this would be much appreciated. Nevertheless, this will do nicely just as is. Thumbs up to you.

      Andy

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    3. Thanks Andy, I'll look into it, and if the specs have changed, and it certainly sounds like it, I'll try to see if there is a solution. There appears to be two different models of the MLC800, the one I used just has the "M" logo on the front, the other has the full "Motorola" brand name.

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  14. Firstly , I would like to Thank you for sharing your files on how to do this ..I was appalled at the price the other dementia clocks and had been wondering how I could arrange to get 3 clocks with *very* limited finances. Especially as my M I L
    seems to have taken a big dip in her cognisance of a normal analogue clock
    [in a very short time]
    I`m awaiting delivery of my digi photoframe and can`t wait to try this out . I think the pics will be a great help too , esp as she`s getting up at 2.45 am thinking its 9.15am

    Regarding dementia clocks in general , I can`t understand the pricing system .
    Do they think all monies come from Social services/ Govt funding ..so it`s ok to whack the price up? Just my two-penn`th.
    Thank you once again for sharing your talents with us

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    1. You're more than welcome, and I hope it works well for your MIL. Let me know how things work out.

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  15. Hi Martyn, this sounds great - THANK YOU for sharing.

    I have 2 questions: you mention the "issue of unplugging has been discussed elsewhere on Alz Soc website" -

    (1) would you direct me to the page please?

    I want to create one for my dad, then take it to him which is a 5 hour train journey from me.

    (2) I'm wondering which - if any - bits of the set-up/preparation that I do before I unplug it will be retained during the 5 hours of unplugging (eg: will the photos be fine, but not the timer?) - and which bits I will need to re-do when I get to his house?

    (3) Is there a temporary power source that can be used for the journey?

    FYI, I noticed your response to 19 Nov comments about no Modify Clock. Your response meant I ensured the one I got has the M on the front - I bought a refurbished one for £29 - it comes with a 12 month warranty.

    Many thanks
    Dawn

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  16. Oops, that'll be 3 questions, not 2.... I can count, honest... Dawn

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    1. Hi Dawn. Once the images are loaded, they should be fine. All you'll need to do when you get to your Dad's is make sure the time is right, which it should be as there is a battery back-up for the internal clock. Then, once plugged in, just advance the images to the right one for time and day - that's it.

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  17. Martyn; Firstly thank you for this amazing idea, my Mother passed away last year after suffering with both Alzhimers and Vascular Denemtia. My Stepfather is now in care also suffering with Vascular Dementia. I, like some of the other posts have struggled with the nominated MLC800 frame, I was unable to get the date / calander on at the same time as the photos. I purchased the frame from a local dealer, details below who very kindly worked with me to sort out a frame that would do what is required. I now have the Motorola MF801, that not only runs your file perfectly but also has a replaceable battery backup to retain the settings should the electrical supply be disconnected.

    The supplier I found is Parkers Photographic, Phone 023 8043 4137, Web site www.parkers-photo.com; the very nice man to talk to is called Steve.

    Steve was very interested in your file and was very pleased to help me out

    Good luck with anyone trying to set one up, but with the right frame it really is very easy; I intend to setup a new file after Christmas with memory photos for him

    Once again thanks

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    1. Thanks for the info about the MF801, it's good to know there is an alternative to the MLC800.

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  18. Martyn-

    I just completed the frame project for a friend's mother and will give it to her for Christmas. Your willingness to share your efforts is a great example of the holiday spirit. I, in turn, will spread the word here in Massachusetts, USA.

    My best to you -

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    1. Thank you - Happy Holidays to you, and to all in Massachusetts :)

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  19. Martyn, thank you indeed for sharing this great idea. I too was unable to find the Motorola MCL 800 here in France but have purchased the MF 801 (thanks to your anonymous correspondent on 20 December) and it does indeed work well. Have set it all up this afternoon and hope it helps my mother (92) when she wakes during the night. I do think the BIME clock is far too expensive - ones does realise how prices of specialised items for the elderly/Alzheimers/disabled are loaded when you start to have to buy modified everyday things (I just paid £21 for special plate, spoon and fork and that was the cheapest I could find), and it is shameful. It is a niche market I agree but wide open to profiteers. Thanks again, the time and effort you have put in to this is much appreciated. Regards, Sharon.

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    1. Hi Sharon, you are most welcome. Also, thank you for confirming that the Motorola MF801 also works - I have amended the post to reflect this. I hope the clock does prove helpful for your mother - let me know. Thanks once again.

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  20. Hi Martin, it works brilliantly, so well in fact that when my Mum saw it was Monday morning she thought she had to get up and go to work! A rather unexpected side effect as she retired 32 years ago! I am also having trouble convincing her that it is not I who made the clock, but a very clever man on the internet. Thank you again, it has really made a difference to us. All best wishes, Sharon

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  21. Aye Martyn fella - you're a genius! My dad couldn't grasp the analogue clocks with the sun and moon so this is exactly what I need. I managed to get a MLC800 for £25 delivered off ebay and I've got your files ready for when it arrives.

    We're in Aberdeen and the weather just now means that it's hardly getting light at all. I don't think it'll be such a problem in June.

    You're a good man and I wish you all the very best.

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    1. Thank you Eric, you're very welcome. Let me know how it works for your Dad. All the very best from me :)

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  22. Dear Martyn, I`ve got my clocks up and running , and they have made an amazing difference to my MIL....not quite the same set up [slightly different models ] but at least she is more settled. i.e not as anxious. All day every day was taken up with the time ..Is it time for breakfast ?, I`ll have to start thinking about making dinner etc. etc.and she hasn`t got up in the early hrs thinking its morning. . A brilliant idea and big thanks going your way...kindest regards Pat

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  23. Hi Martyn, I have purchased a Kaiser Baas 8.0" (4:3) photo frame set up your slides and it works a treat. Over the holiday period it really did the job, if there is ever a period where it is difficult it keep track of the days it is when there are public holidays scattered throughout the week and the normal routine is mixed up. My mum got through this period without a hitch referring to your slides regularly particularly when it comes to taking her meds. Thank you very much for this solution, my mum doesn't understand where it came from but it has made a huge difference for her. I was unable to get the motorola in Australia, however, the Kaiser Baas works well, the calender / clock option is not very good but that was not critical for us as the slides alone do the job for us.
    Thanks again and all the very best of luck to you.

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    1. Thanks for letting us know about another suitable digital photo frame Rob. Good to know it's working for your Mum.

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  24. Zeezap Day & Night visual dementia clock app for Android is now available FREE on Google Play through Three Bees Association. Cheers.

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  25. Martyn
    I think this is great. I am a languages teacher and a parent from my school alerted me to your site. Would it help if students at my school created the French, German, Spanish, Italian versions? The parent wondered if it would be a good project for them and I agree!

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    1. That would be a great idea! Helpful for both the students and for people whose first language is not English. Please let me know how you get on. Many thanks.

      Delete
  26. Oh this is a wonderful idea! We have been looking for some sort of clock that would clearly show DAY or NIGHT or a sun or a moon or something along with the time of day. My partner's mom is getting so confused whether it's morning or night. We have had little luck finding a device. I can not find the frame you recommend in the US. I was looking at the Nix X12C. Here are the stats. Do you think it might work with your files?

    12 inch Screen, 4:3 ratio - perfect for photos, Huge 4GB Thumb Portable Drive Memory, SD & USB Sockets
    Auto on/off, alarm clock, Wall Mountable (VESA 75 x 75mm)

    Thanks so much for sharing this idea and the files! This is exactly what we need! :)
    Deanna

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    Replies
    1. Hi Deanna :)
      So long as the Nix X12C, can change the images every hour, it should be fine.
      Martyn

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    2. The Nix X08D can change the images every hour but it doesn't display the clock on the photo. I returning it back to Amazon

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  27. Hey it's Deanna. I ended up getting a hold of a stray Motorola MF801 online because I wanted to work with something as close as possible as what you were. I got the images up. I think I have it running. At 10 pm it switched to night like it was suppose to. :) A question...what should Calibration be set to? Right now it says 4s per day.
    I went to the first menu for preloaded pictures. Do I need to do any settings in here? Then I went to the next menu for the SD photos. I set for 1hr..play sequence to order, side show to left to right. Should I set side show or leave it at none?
    I then went to where all the photos are...since it was 9 p.m. on a Wednesday I chose 4-21 for the photo. Now every time I lose power I need to reset the photo, right? There's a battery in there, but I think it might be dead. Hopefully if I get a new battery I wont have to worry about resetting after losing power. I can't thank you enough! She's been sooo obsessed and confused about time lately. I think this will help! yaaay!

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  28. Hi Deanna, the battery is for the internal clock only, so although the time will be correct, unfortunately if the power goes off the photos do need to be reset. If I find a solution, I'll post it here. Everything else seems fine. I hope it does help :)

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  29. Thanks Martyn for creating this Dementia Clock.

    I can't believe somebody not selling this clock for dementia patient. I will order the MF801 and give this solution a try. As for the power loss issue, how about power strip used for computer to prevent data loss.

    Found this one on Amazon, it's little expensive http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP600LCD-Intelligent-600VA-Compact/dp/B000OTEZ5I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394439437&sr=8-1&keywords=power+backup+battery

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Marcus. Yes an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS), would certainly be one solution to avoid power losses. But, as you say, they can be expensive, around US$60 or here in the UK around GBP£50+ - this is a similar one for UK users http://www.amazon.co.uk/APC-BE400-UK-Back-Ups-400Va-230V/dp/B000GL19BW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394709461&sr=8-2&keywords=ups

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  30. Many thanks Martyn!
    Like many of the people posting here I was looking for a day clock for my Mom who was terribly frustrated by her inability to remember the day of the week. This is such a clever and simple solution. I was able to put it together in an afternoon (I happened to have a 5-year-old Kodak frame sitting unused in a drawer) and make an 86 year old lady very happy. She is thrilled and I'm happy that she is less stressed.

    I have to tell you that everyone who has come to her apartment in the last week (her Personal Support Workers, her Doctor, even my niece who is a nurse working with the elderly) wants to know how to make one. I've decided to post the instructions by the clock to share your design.

    So, from Canada, thank you for caring and sharing!
    Janice

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    1. Thanks Janice, it's good to know how it works for other people. Also thank you for sharing it with others, I hope the clock proves beneficial to them too. :)

      Delete
  31. Hi there we have purchased this and would like the time to be displayed at the same time as the slide, for example it would read:
    it is now Friday evening
    19.52
    Is this possible at all?
    Kind regards
    Hayley

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  32. Hi Martyn & thanks for you time and effort in supplying the world with great solution.

    I've been attempting to set this up for my mother but the longest transition time on the digital frame is 10 secs. Any bright ideas as to how to overcome this apart from having (6x60x6) = 2160 images for a 6 hour period?
    Thanks in advance

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    Replies
    1. Sorry for the late reply. Unfortunately it is a case of either creating 2160 images for a 6 hour period, or getting a frame that transitions on the hour. A difficult one I know, as many frames advertised online, don't give the info about transition times.

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  33. My 92-year-old father has mixed-type dementia and great trouble knowing what time of day it is, and I had heard about a device which showed the time of day. Searching for this online I came across your idea, and have followed it through with a Motorola MF801, and downloaded your slides. It works perfectly, and Dad thinks it's amazing, although still insists that sometimes it's wrong! Mostly I think because it gets light before 6am in these summer days. The only disadvantage is that it can't be unplugged, otherwise it has to be reset, so can't be moved from his bedroom to the living room. But it's mostly needed in the bedroom so it's staying there. Many thanks for the suggestion and for so generously making the slides available.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have been running with this for over a week on an old photo frame (No Clock) and it has had some success with my Father in Law. However like Anon (15 June 2014) he doesn't always believe it.
      I think it is now time to order a the MF801 with the build in clock and see how that goes. Many thanks for the use of the slides Martyn. I will be making a donation over the next few weeks.

      Delete
  34. my mother is 65 has dementia and lives with us- she was forgetting her entire day and mixing up nightime for morning and insisting that it was time for breakfast at 9;00pm- desparate to find a clock that would help her tell what part of day she was, in i stumbled upon this site- i have made TWO of these one for her bedside and one for the our TV room. -thank you so much for this! simple concept yet truly amazing idea

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  35. Hi Martyn. Just wanted to add my voice to those of so many others. What a fantastic idea! I had been looking for a solution for my mother with vascular dementia and chanced upon your site. Now she has a photo frame with her own photos in it plus the very helpful "now it's Wednesday evening" message. Took a bit of time to set up, but so worthwhile. By the way I think you handled the BIME issue with tact and grace. Well done!

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  36. Martyn, Thank you so much! it works perfectly on my Linx 8" Digital photo frame that was just laying around. I was about to buy a day clock but felt so angry about the way these companies exploit people with dementia i.e.justify £75?? they should be helping them especially as we are the ones that raise the money for the charity and i have raise a lot for both Altziemers whom I lost my Father to and Dementia which is where my mother is at now ... Anyway, I then found your blog pheww. I've been testing it out at home and so far so good! needless to say she will be getting it tomorrow and hopefully she will stop asking me what Day it is every 2mins :) well done and thank you!

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  37. Martyn,
    I would just like to say a massive thank you for your own creation of the Day Clock. My partners parents are both suffering from Dementia and Altimeters. We did buy the Digital Calendar Clock but this arrived faulty, and also in my opinion very cheaply made, so after returning it we looked at purchasing the original Day Clock when I came across your blog on Google. So with nothing to lose, as we already had a photo frame, we thought we would try your files, these have worked perfectly and we now have our own Day Clock. The frame we used was a, Kodak Easy Share.
    With grateful thanks

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  38. Thanks for sharing! For antique clocks repair in Perth, visit: http://www.morethanantiques.com.au/.

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  39. Thanks for this post.
    We did something close on Relink. We believe it might be complementary for people not already having a digital frame: Relink

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  40. Absolutely brilliant idea - found an old digital frame that had an hour delay and was up and running in no time. No clock unfortunately but used the free space at the bottom space by editing the pictures provided to put extra messages e.g. 'stay in bed until morning' (my mother's own choice of words) on all the night slides. Thanks very much - nice to see someone want to help others with no thought to their own financial gain!

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  41. What a great idea. We had a spare photoframe called a SYNN DPF 701 that was cheap and unused. It takes SD cards but only has a 2 hour time period - though this may be alterable in some models. Anyway, being no mathematical genius I simply deleted all the odd numbered files and to my amazement it still works after over a week. Not only that, I started it on the last pip and the frame is still keeping perfect time after over a week!

    If I had a hat I would take it off to You Sir - you have done a real public service by this clever piece of lateral thinking and the work involved. I have even been able to use Paint to add a bin day reminder! My mother-in-law (aged 90) is very grateful and a lot less confused now.

    Live long and prosper!



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  42. Just to say thanks for making these images available. As many will know, every dementia is different, There's no easy way to check if any particular device will work or for how long with any individual so being able to try something at reasonable cost is great help.

    I'll add that they work on the basic 7 inch digital photoframe as previously sold by Curry/PC World under their Logik brand - the box says PF-A720C and it has changeable black/silver/pink surrounds. They turn up on ebay and other second hand sources regularly. The digital frame is a basic model; no time to set or display, brightness is set manually and the display is a lowish resolution 16:9 ratio. They can be set to a 1 hour picture change and take a variety of cards or USB drives. It does the basic job and rolls over day to day and the week end as long as it's powered on.

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  43. Hello Friend
    I have seen your blog and its very nice. Our website also serve digital photographic needs, We offers Digital Photographic , Photo Scanning and print scanning services. You can see our website and get more information.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Hello Martyn, thanks so much for the idea and images. I plan to use this system but to add a message at the appropriate hour to remind my Mum to take her medication.
    Peter

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  45. I hope by now Bath have got you on their research team Martyn.You have the attitude needed to improve the product they already supply . These days many a dementia sufferer has a family member with the knowledge to put one of these clocks together and as I've discovered are very happy to be doing something relevant for their Grandma .
    Thankyou Martyn for sharing this excellent idea .

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  46. THIS IS A GREAT IDEA. :) £70 -80 is a lot of money to pay for something that may not work, but this idea is a cheap way of trying it out. I have just given this to my Mum who has dementia. At the moment she doesn't want it on her kitchen work top (as it is in the way), but I will leave it with her for a while and see if she gets used to it.
    Many thanks.

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  47. This sounds great. My Dad has Alzheimers and rarely remembers the year, date, day or time. I'm 3 hrs away and feel terrible that I'm not there all the time to help him so I've been looking at dementia clocks but they are expensive and have very mixed reviews. I was also considering buying him a digital photo frame so I could take pics of photos he loves. This seems to hit all the spots.I'm not technically savvy, but it looks worth a go.

    ReplyDelete
  48. This sounds great. My Dad has Alzheimers and rarely remembers the year, date, day or time. I'm 3 hrs away and feel terrible that I'm not there all the time to help him so I've been looking at dementia clocks but they are expensive and have very mixed reviews. I was also considering buying him a digital photo frame so I could take pics of photos he loves. This seems to hit all the spots.I'm not technically savvy, but it looks worth a go.

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  49. Thanks Martyn for this great simple solution for a Day Clock. They say the simple things in life are best! It only took a few minutes to set up, and my photo frame does not change on the hour, I had to synchronise with my watch.

    My wife has Parkinson’s Dementia and asks every day what day is it. Since I set this up 4 days ago she hasn’t asked me once.

    This is something I should have thought of a long time ago as I’ve been doing photography for 50 years and have had a 15” photo frame for more than 5 years!

    Your solution/idea would still work with a frame that doesn’t have a 1 hour setting for the slide show, e.g. if the maximum setting is 15 minutes then duplicating the images 3 times so there are 4 per hour would still work. I say this just in case some people may be disappointed that their photo frame does not have the 1 hour setting.

    Once again Martyn, thanks for this great solution.

    Bill

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  50. Thank you so much. This is really kind. My mother is delighted and so relieved.

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  51. After googling many sites and images for a suitable clock for my Mum with Alzheimer's, who is just not confused about days and dates but Morning/Afternoon/Bedtime, you have hit the nail on the head with all 5. Time/Day/Date/Month/Year
    So many have AM/PM too which my Mum does not quite understand.
    Am keen to give this a go so will report back. Linzi from New Zealand

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  52. Thank you for making your photos for the clock available! I was not able to find a photo frame with 1 hour setting, but I did find one with 15 minute setting (Insignia 8"). I copied your slides and appended "_00", "_15", "_30", "_45". My mom (I'm in the US) said she could use a clock that just tells her what day it was. Your's was the best solution I found. I hope you were compensated by the non-profit that used your idea. My mom says, "this clock is WONDERFUL!!" With the Insignia 8" photo frame, I was able to display the date & time on the left and the photos on the right -- which is exactly what my mom was hoping for.

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  53. My Insignia frame was not keeping the photos in order. I even tried renumbering them. A quick Google search showed to give them a name like Now and rename all automatically. It gave them names Now
    (1)... I put the flash drive into the frame and they are now in order. Thank you so much. My frame does not have the time, but I'm thinking I could add to the photos with just the hour or add more photos with a shorter time span. This will be great for my mom with Parkinson's who can't remember when we are coming to get her or visit, etc. Thank you so much!

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  54. Hi people,
    Thank you so much for this wonderful article really!
    If someone want to learn more about the Clocks I think this is the right place for you!

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  55. Hi. image 2_08 in the zip file has a bracket in it "2_08).jpg" in the second zip file without the "It is Now"

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  56. Is Automatic Talking Watcges is valuable for blinds???
    Talking Watch

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  57. Thanks so much for this. My dad is struggling with what time of day it is and I was told by the carers they'd seen someone with a photo frame that said the day and I planned to create my own images but found yours so it's saved me a lot of time. He had two digital frames in a drawer so with a bit of faffing they're set up. Testing overnight and will try them out with him this week. Good way to recycle unused electronics too!
    Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  58. This is a fantastic idea, and to think I almost clicked on the "buy now" button and spent £80 plus delivery on a commercial product, and I don't even know if my 92 year old mother will take to this. At least this way if it turns out that she still calls me at 4am when she thinks it's 4pm then at least I can recycle the photo frame and use it for it's normal use.

    Can I request that people post up the make, model and cost of any photo frame that they find works well as the original model seems to have been discontinued some time ago.

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  59. Just taken delivery of a MF801 and loaded the images... I'm running it for a while prior to taking it to my mothers, where I'm sure she will benefit from it. - The MF801 was £55 from Amazon, so not as cheap an option as it was a few years back when this blog was started, but still £25 cheaper than the "commercial" version. I did contact the Bath Institute via the online chat as I wanted to know if their product maintains the correct display in the event of a power failure, but the customer support operative couldn't confirm that it did, suggesting that it would reset much the same as a normal digital photoframe would... no nothing really gained then by purchasing the "commercial" product.

    Thanks Martyn for providing a set of images that can turn any digital photo frame with one hour advancements into a very useful product...

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  60. Martyn, I think this is brilliant! I have a question right off the bat,,, I downloaded from your link, and when I push on it.. it wants me to purchase WinZip for $28? Is this correct or is there another way> Thanks Kerri

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  61. Hi Martyn,
    As of today my Dad now has his personalised day clock and all thanks to you. Simply brilliant. Dad is in a care home and I visit him many times a week but he doesn't remember if I am coming and gets very agitated. Previously we have written down information that he had in a pocket diary which needless to say was consistently being misplaced or ended in the wash. The day clock is perfect. I am afraid that I didn't upload your files but just ran with the idea and made my own personalised slides which also include information of my visiting schedule. I am praying that the nursing home do not unplug it and have also Velcro stickered it to his bedroom wall so that the neighbour in the next room who often wanders and takes things won't be able to get her mitts on it! You are a genius Martyn. Thank you so very very much.

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  62. Brilliant!
    I've just bought a Logik 8" photo frame from ebay.co.uk for £23. So far, so good. Although it needs mains power the frame seems to remember its settings so I can set it up and then deliver it to my father in law. Thanks for a really simple, powerful idea.
    If it's not suitable I have bought a photo frame. No biggy.

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    Replies
    1. PS. This is a success. My father-in-law likes it and it definitely helps him. Thanks again!

      Delete
  63. I know this a dated post but just wanted to make you aware that a new product has been released that integrates this and many other features. You can read about it here: http://www.recallcue.com it has the advantage that there is an app that can be installed on a smartphone and updates can be sent to the frame remotely.

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  64. Thanks so much for this! I had an old frame and the files are working. It was easy to set up, and I might take the time to make jpg's of my own with old familiar scenes for a birthday present. I'll see how mom takes to it first. Unfortunately she's in an older building that doesn't have as many electrical outlets as current codes require.

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  65. Bought a Sony DPF-80 , because the online owners manual that I found, said it could be set to change every hour. Been trying it for a week, and it seems to work fine. If the power goes out, I can look at the images and chose the image and set it to single view at the top of the hour. Don't know that the clock function will work well with the images, but the images are the important thing for me. Thank you putting them together and sharing them.

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  66. Hey mate, it is very well written article, thank you for the valuable and useful information you provide in this post. Keep up the good work! FYI, please check these depression, stress and anxiety related articles:


    Psychology Test

    Dementia

    Sleep Disorder

    How To Reduce Nervousness

    First Trimester Pregnancy

    Depression Cure

    Teenage Pregnancy


    You can also contact me at depressioncure.net@gmail.com for link exchange, article exchange or for advertisement.

    Thanks

    Veronica

    ReplyDelete
  67. Hello, this is a lovely idea and I'd love to download the file to use for my mum but the website http://www.zkidoo.co.uk doesn't exist anymore.
    Is the file available elsewhere?
    Thanks

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  68. Mathew, we think we may still have the file somewhere on our old office computer, if you don't get sorted before next weekend I'll have a look for you.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Maggy,
      I've not been able to find the file elsewhere, if you do have it it would be greatly appreciated.
      Thank you.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. Hi Maggy,

      Thank you for the file & the effort you went to to get it to me, I really appreciate it.

      Cheers

      Matthew

      Delete
  69. My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's diseases this neuron disease started 25 years before being revealed it was triggered the moment we started eating sugars including any and almost all carbs that break down to glycerol, and he was placed on the best  medical treatment approved by the United States, (FDA) he has been taking Cholinesterase, Meantime to treat his memory loss, confusion and the problems with his thinking and reasoning. Just to help slow the progression and manage the symptoms, as no cure exists I read through with interest. I once believed Alzheimer disease has no cure. Well it is true with English medicine, but not with herbal medicine. My Dad's experience opened my eyes to the reality of a cure through herbs. My Father was a vibrant man before his encounter with Alzheimer. He was a scientist, hence his mental capability was never in doubt. In 2013, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer. The symptoms manifested through repeating conversation and gradually forgetting things. It became progressive from finding the right words during conversation, to significant confusion and forgetting details about himself. It was not a good experience, seeing your father whose brilliance had no match, totally became a shadow of himself. His doctors said the disease has no cure, just medications for treatment which had a lot of side effects were administered to him. Early 2016, while on the internet, I bumped into a story of Alzheimer, and I read about a cure through herbs with interest. I researched more to be sure it was not a hoax.  In my quest, Doctor James herbal mix medicine was mentioned in the testimony. I contacted the Great Healer  on his email that was provided  (GREATCUREMAN'@MAIL.COM)   and I got his herbal mix medicine for my father. He told me that his herbal mix medicine will help my Dad to reduce the abnormal protein fold inside his neurons, and regulate the nutrients and molecules in his body system, and as well stop the progressive disorder that build up in damaging his brain cells, and help his weak cells  that causes  brain shrinking to function well, it's a good herbal drinks for cell repairing. This doctor James is a super great man and his herbal mix medicine is wonderful and works effectively as he said, with no side effects. It's been 4 years and my Dad is perfectly okay and back to his laboratory work even at old age. For your loved ones with Alzheimer or Dementia, take them off English medicine and use Dr. James herbal mix medicine for treatment. If you are suffering from Dementia, Alzheimer's disease or facing different kinds of health challenges  do not hestitate to contact the great healer on his Email at.(GREATCUREMAN@GMAIL.COM].   and get your permanent cure. He's a good man, and he will help you.

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  70. Following Maggy's efforts, I've put the files onto Google Drive so that others can download them.

    All thanks to Maggy & of course Martyn/sussexrokx for creating them in the first place.

    https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1NdKceQE6zJu0cFUP1v9fuyEa9_gybGo-

    ReplyDelete