Berk Frank Zafer

Healthcare Professional | PhD Candidate at Dundalk Institute of Technology | Robotic Care of Dementia (HRID)

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

France’s National Assembly is expected to cast its final vote on assisted dying. The bill is broader than typical U.S. laws, but narrower than Belgian and Dutch models, with strict eligibility and consent requirements. #EndOfLife
https://t.co/7fo5cp9fmO

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

Japan’s @dfree_j developed DFree, a noninvasive wearable that uses ultrasound to monitor bladder filling and alert users before toileting may be needed. It represents an important innovation for addressing toileting needs in #DementiaCare. https://t.co/IjT7Sm0eYf

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

Embodied as a familiar object, the "Heirloom Table" is an innovative conversational agent for reminiscence therapy in #DementiaCare. Raja et al. (2026) found it shaped expectations, created a non-judgmental space, and supported comfortable self-disclosure: https://t.co/fH1LVX3tDJ

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

E-BAR, a remote-controlled eldercare robot prototype from @MITEngineering, is designed to support older adults during walking, sit-to-stand transfers, and fall-catching: https://t.co/h2syV0BGdU

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

A new social robot for non-pharmacological support in #DementiaCare: CASIO's AI pet robot @casio_moflin is now being displayed at Fukuoka City Dementia Friendly Center, where its potential benefits for people living with dementia are being evaluated. https://t.co/2fyf1z20OX

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

Japan’s TAIS, Technical Aids Information System, recognized Itsudemo Wanchan, a mixed reality virtual dog, as #DementiaCare tech. Like Feng et al.’s 2019 LiveNature, it suggests a lower-burden MR route to virtual animal therapy in nonpharmacological care. https://t.co/EXNwEqq2KK

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

2026 Japan data on home-based Alzheimer’s caregiving: Shinagawa et al. report BPSD in 90.6% of 705 co-resident caregiver cases, with higher burden and lower QoL. Nagata et al. link NPS to ~10 more family care hours/week. #DementiaCare #BPSD
https://t.co/cN26bNZemI

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

The first signs of deterioration in aged care may not look like a hospital emergency. New Zealand’s DEWS, now rolling out in 122 facilities, turns age-specific indicators, vital signs and frontline observations into a structured escalation pathway. https://t.co/6Y7mrzE2dh @HQSCNZ

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

Nonino et al. (2026) conclude in a Cochrane review that anti-amyloid drugs (DMTs) for early Alzheimer’s offer little meaningful benefit and raise the risk of imaging abnormalities (ARIA). This reinforces non-pharmacological approaches in #DementiaCare. https://t.co/Ywq281uwwP

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

In #DementiaCare, nurse-call and alarm systems are safety-critical infrastructure. They can reduce care workload; however, they cannot replace accountability. #WelfareTechnology requires reliable setup, staff training, maintenance, and human oversight: https://t.co/9ivkxrcwMe

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

Dementia villages are moving from concept to evidence. In France, @Inserm reports fewer hospitalizations among VLAHE residents (6.4% vs 11.1%/quarter) and shorter stays (10.5 vs 15.2 days).
https://t.co/aLVMhUehPt
https://t.co/7W1idiHBqq

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

#Polypharmacy affects most people with #dementia, yet deprescribing is seldom straightforward. Andrews et al. (2025) use patient-taken medication photographs from home to underscore the importance of relationship-centered deprescribing in primary care. https://t.co/iVEyAfnZ6E

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

In #DementiaCare, fall prevention is a critical priority. @CDCgov’s #STEADI offers valuable resources for clinicians and the public. Bajones et al. (2018) present Hobbit as a promising robot for fall detection and prevention. https://t.co/yYksUcatSB https://t.co/DWebroSVR8

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

What are dementia-related needs? Koh et al. (2025, @weiqi_koh) map unmet needs for people with dementia and their informal and formal caregivers using CANE and a social health lens. A key reference point for welfare technology design in #DementiaCare. https://t.co/1890K3XVhF

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

Role captivity is widely studied in #DementiaCare and can be assessed with tools such as Pearlin’s scale. Awareness of this experience matters for the quality of life of both the person with dementia and the caregiver, often called the “hidden patient.”
https://t.co/U6RVELsm7l

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

#SocialRobotics in #DementiaCare is not just about staff shortages. It is also needed as society changes, as seen in Japan’s "relationless society" (muen shakai, 無縁社会), where ties weaken and solitary living grows (Allison, 2015). https://t.co/nUuanL4cKO

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

In #DementiaCare, repeated attempts to reorient a person to reality may return them to a painful past. Dai et al. (2020) revisit Dietch et al.’s (1989) idea of “intolerable reality,” highlighting the importance of the validation approach. https://t.co/Ouba9vnDaR

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

Julie Wosk’s 2024 book titled "Artificial Women" discusses "Sayonara" — a film directed by Koji Fukada @fukada80. @HiroshiIshiguro’s Geminoid F appears as an android caregiver. A compelling thought experiment on the ethical implications of robotic care. https://t.co/47fMnRkkuY

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

As part of a new Japan-China R&D project, Japan’s @TANOTECHCORP offers contactless, non-wearable, gamified tools to support exercise and rehabilitation in aging, dementia, and disability care.
https://t.co/U2jw4rYEAC
https://t.co/agc6iw9iXl

[Berk Frank Zafer @BerkFrankZafer]

A promising direction in #DementiaCare: @UofNH researchers are testing an AI-enabled socially assistive robot in family homes, using smart home and IoT sensor data to trigger reminders, alerts, and support for #AgingInPlace. https://t.co/CJhjRNlsod