“He would order the same items over and over again…hundreds of reams of printer paper…arriving at the house”.
How best to enable someone living with dementia or cognitive impairment to continue to shop online safely without making unwanted repeat purchases? This was the challenge brothers Sam and Jake Galson set themselves on learning of this distressing behaviour of a friend with young onset Alzheimer’s.
Such personal experience combined with their software expertise has led Sam and Jake to develop Phylax, an app that tracks, analyses and prevents unwanted purchases online before they go through. Working in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, their aim is to prolong independent living, and stave off the time when a carer or family member has to step in and limit or stop access to the internet or funds.
We were delighted to speak to Sam and Jake to learn more about Phylax, and to offer all Age Space users the chance to sign up for the Phylax app and be part of its ongoing development.
Benefits and risks of the internet and being online
Internet use can slow cognitive decline and older adults who regularly use the internet have roughly half the risk of dementia compared to those who do not. The protective effects are thought to relate to the opportunities to communicate, socialise and learn new things online.
Yet being online comes with risks, particularly when cognitive decline has already set in. Sam and Jake Galson discovered these risks first hand when a friend with young onset Alzheimer’s developed a problematic relationship with online shopping. “He would order the same items over and over again”, Jake explains. “There were hundreds of reams of printer paper and things like that arriving at the house – often impractical to return. It was very difficult for his wife.”
“Being involved in the software industry, we knew this was something we could fix.” The idea won funding from the Alzheimer’s Society and so was born Phylax – an app that tracks, analyses and prevents unwanted online purchases before they go through.
Safer, yet respectfully independent
Phylax has been designed with the aim of prolonging autonomy and independence. A unique AI algorithm detects when a purchase is likely to be unwanted – because it has been purchased before – and issues a warning to the user, giving them a crucial second chance to evaluate their intention without spoiling their online experience. By default, the user remains in control and can choose whether to complete or abort the purchase after reviewing the information presented by the app.
The brothers hope the app will stave off that moment of what can be a painful and humiliating loss of freedom, when a carer feels obliged to step in and curtail access to the computer or to funds.
However, for those at more advanced states of decline, it will be possible to configure the app to block the purchase outright, or delegate the decision to a carer via a push notification.
Privacy First
The idea of monitoring online shopping activity via an app was “nerve-wracking”, the brothers said. “Online purchase data is highly sensitive.” That’s why the app comes with strong guarantees that this data will never be misused or sold. Data is held securely and the obligatory app store review processes help to ensure the app is safe. The brothers hope their ongoing partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society will build trust that the product has been developed with best interests of its users at heart.
Incentives for early adopters
Phylax is still under heavy development but an early version is available to try. The software currently works to track and intercept orders on Amazon and Tesco and more retailers will be added soon. “We need as many people as possible to sign up now so we can prove the software does what’s it’s supposed to and offers a real benefit to its users”, the brothers said.
The app works best when used in tandem with Google Chrome, but early versions for Microsoft Edge and Safari are also available to try.
Anyone who signs up now is guaranteed free access for life. A £10 Amazon gift voucher is also available for anyone who completes a feedback survey after testing the software.
A call for co-creators - share your experiences with Sam and Jake
Thanks to the Alzheimer’s Society network, Phylax has been able to involve people with lived experience of dementia in the design process from the beginning. However, they are always seeking more input from those closest to the problem they are trying to solve. Anyone whom the issue of online shopping with cognitive impairment has touched is urged to drop an email to Sam or Jake at [email protected] or [email protected]. They would love to hear about your experiences.
Sign up to Phylax at https://getphylax.com/signup. Sam and Jake are available to provide personalised help getting set up where needed.
About Sam and Jake
Jake is passionate about the development of new technologies in healthcare and healthy ageing. He has led the development of several software platforms used for drug discovery, one of which formed the basis of several large Pharma partnerships. Over the last four years, he has been developing software to aid people with neurodegenerative disease, during which time he has become acutely aware of the challenges these individuals face.
Sam is a hands-on software engineer with a strong belief in the power of technology to transform businesses and society. He has worked for a range of enterprise clients on software platforms serving up to five million users. Before joining Jake at Phylax, he was working with Oxford University developing tools for assessing the environmental impacts of agriculture.
Sign up to Phylax at https://getphylax.com/signup. Sam and Jake are available to provide personalised help getting set up where needed.
