arXiv · 2607.24536
RemiAssist: A Therapist-Supporting System for Photo-Based Reminiscence Therapy in Dementia Care
Abstract
Despite growing interest in applying AI to photo-based reminiscence therapy (PRT) for people with dementia (PwD), existing systems primarily focus on PwD-AI interaction and often overlook therapists' critical role in practical PRT delivery. We present RemiAssist, a system that supports therapist-in-the-loop PRT through AI-assisted planning and real-time facilitation. RemiAssist incorporates two core techniques: (1) a Memory Graph, which organizes key life events from a PwD's photo collection into a hierarchical graph to support theme-centered intervention planning; and (2) a Context-Aware Guiding Strategy, which provides real-time suggestions to help therapists guide reminiscence conversations and respond to sensitive situations. A field study with eight therapist-PwD dyads suggests that RemiAssist was associated with a 44% improvement in planning efficiency, a 54% increase in conversation duration, and timely support for handling sensitive situations. We highlight opportunities for AI systems to empower therapists and enable more personalized reminiscence therapy in dementia care.
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Shuchang Xu, Minglong Tang, Junyan Mao, Xiaofu Jin, Wazeer Zulfikar, Yasith Samaradivakara, Jiayi Zhou, Huamin Qu, Yuling Sun, Pattie Maes. 2026-07-27. RemiAssist: A Therapist-Supporting System for Photo-Based Reminiscence Therapy in Dementia Care. https://doi.org/10.1145/3830398.3830485
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