Noteleaf

Reassure them, even when you can't be there.

Type a note on your phone, and within a minute it's on their Noteleaf, a small framed screen in their home. There's nothing for them to press or learn.

Fifteen calls before lunch, all asking the same thing.

When your parent or loved one is living with dementia or memory loss, the same questions can come round all day: “What time is the carer coming?” “What day is it?” “What is happening today?” You answer gently, and a few minutes later the phone rings again. They ring because they're worried, not to be difficult, and you're not failing them by not being there. So what if the answer was already in front of them?

When you're on the move and can't call, but just need to give someone a message.

How it works.

  1. You type a note on your phone.

    A message or a reminder, from a private web page. No app to download.

  2. Within a minute, it's on their screen.

    In large, clear writing, with the day and the date at the top.

  3. Your phone shows exactly what's on their screen.

    So you always know it's there.

For them, there are no buttons, no glowing screen and nothing to learn. It looks like a note on paper, written by family.

“Is anyone coming today?”

Write “Ari's coming at 2pm with cake” and it's on their screen within a minute. It stays there until you change it, so when they wonder again at half past one, the answer is right there on their screen.

Stay on top of things, without ringing to ask.

Your phone shows the same screen they're looking at, with a line like “On the screen since 10:12”. And if their screen ever goes offline, your page tells you that too.

Their screen

On the screen since 10:12

Your phone

A typical day with Noteleaf.

One ordinary Thursday: what you sent, and the worry it eased.

  1. 8am

    You sent this before work, so he knew from breakfast that today was a visiting day.

  2. 2pm

    You sent this from the bus, as he was worried no one was coming.

  3. 4:30pm

    So the doorbell is a welcome sound, not a fright.

  4. 6pm

    He'd rung twice asking about tonight. Now the answer is right there.

Be there for them, even when you can't be.

Register your interest and we'll email you when a Noteleaf is ready for your family.

My story

I'm Ari. I'm 18, and I'm taking a year out before studying biomedical engineering at Imperial College London.

A few years ago, my grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. My dad, his siblings and her carers look after her day to day, and I've watched her memory change.

I'd often hear my dad talk about how confused she got over when people were coming. Was it today? Had she already missed them? They seemed like simple questions, but there was no simple way to reassure her, because her panic came from a place of fear and loneliness.

So I built the first Noteleaf for her. Now she gets that reassurance straight from her chair, and she tells us she checks it every morning.

I've built Noteleaf from the shared experiences of families like ours. If you're interested, please register your interest. My hope is to help more families too! :)

Ari

Register interest

Questions.

Do they need to do anything?

No. There are no buttons to press, nothing to charge and nothing to answer. They just glance at it, like a note left on the side.

What do I need?

Just your phone, or a computer. You send notes from a private web page: there's no app to download and no account to make. Brothers, sisters and carers can all use the same page.

Does it need Wi-Fi?

Yes, home Wi-Fi and a plug socket. Almost every home router works with it. The first time it's switched on, you connect it to the Wi-Fi from your phone. After that there's nothing to look after.

If the Wi-Fi drops, the screen keeps showing the last message and picks up anything new once the Wi-Fi is back. Your page tells you if it's gone offline.

Who can see the messages?

Only people who have your family's private link, and you choose who to share it with. The messages are never shown publicly.

How is it different from a day clock or a tablet?

A tablet asks for taps, answers and charging. A day clock shows the date, but it can't tell them who's coming or that you're thinking of them. Noteleaf shows the day and date too, next to a note in your own words, so it reads like a message from family, not a test of memory.

What else can it show?

The day, whether it's morning, afternoon or evening, the date and the weather. Reminders can repeat on the days you choose, like a carer's visits, and appear while they're due. Birthdays go in once and come round every year by themselves.

How much will it cost?

£139.99 for the first families, including the frame, the screen and the plug. No subscription. Registering your interest is free, and there's no obligation to buy.

Is Noteleaf a medical device?

No. It's a screen for reminders and messages. It doesn't diagnose, treat or replace anyone's care.

The details
Screen
7.5-inch e-ink, black and white. Like printed paper: no glow, readable in daylight
Frame
7 × 5 inch wooden photo frame. Stands on a shelf, sideboard or bedside table
Power
Mains, through the UK plug in the box
Needs
Home Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz, which almost every router has)
Sending
A private web page. No app to download, no account to make
Updates
New features install themselves over Wi-Fi
Register interest