2026/07/27 by Shuchang Xu, Minglong Tang, Junyan Mao +7
Computer Science · Medicine · Psychology · #Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research #Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health #Identity, Memory, and Therapy #cs.HC
paper · pdf · doi:10.1145/3830398.3830485
Accepted to UIST 2026
openalex publication_date 2026/07/27 · arxiv created 2026/07/28 · arxiv updated 2026/07/30 · openalex created_date 2026/07/30 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
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 and a 54% increase in conversation duration, and provided timely support for handling sensitive situations. We highlight opportunities for AI systems to empower therapists and enable more personalized reminiscence therapy in dementia care.