Improving dementia care in Alberta using AI

By 2030, nearly one million Canadians will be living with dementia, highlighting an urgent need for better training and support for those caring for individuals with this condition. Kaleidoscope XR has received $300,000 from the Accelerating Innovations into Care (AICE) – Tech for Healthy Aging program to integrate their artificial intelligence platforms into dementia training and care programs.

The AICE program was launched in 2024 through a partnership between Alberta Innovates and AGE-WELL. Following a rigorous and competitive review process, Kaleidoscope XR was selected to receive the funding.

Kaleidoscope XR’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based education will provide an innovative training solution for professionals caring for people living with dementia. Objective Structures Clinic Examination (OSCEai Pro) is a platform that enables health care trainees to improve their soft skills by practicing their interactions with virtual AI patients. In addition, the training also aims to reduce patient reliance on antipsychotic drug-use and foster healthier aging.

“Creating new ways of thinking and training for dementia-care is critical not only to patients but also to their caregivers,” says Mike Mahon, CEO of Alberta Innovates. “When we join forces with organizations like AGE-WELL, good things happen. We congratulate Kaleidoscope XR on their success in the first-ever AICE – Tech for Healthy Aging competition. We look forward to the results that flow through this work.”

The OSCEai Pro platform’s development and testing is supported by NorQuest College’s collaboration with health care providers and health care training programs.

“Partnerships create opportunity,” says Bridgette Murphy, Acting CEO of AGE-WELL, Canada’s technology and aging network. “We are thrilled to be working with Alberta Innovates to support Kaleidoscope XR and NorQuest college to address a pressing problem not only in Alberta but throughout Canada. Congratulations to Kaleidoscope XR for their innovative dementia-care training program. We can’t wait to see it advance and make a meaningful impact.”

AGE-WELL’s contribution is made possible by funding through the Strategic Science Fund (SSF), jointly administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Health Canada, and through matching funds from private and public sector partners.  

“Kaleidoscope XR is pleased to be the recipient of the first AICE – Tech for Healthy Aging program,” says Oli Siska, CEO of Kaleidoscope XR. “The funding is fundamental to the success of OSCEai Pro, and it will allow us to help people sooner. The work we do today will hopefully lay the groundwork for training programs at NorQuest College and beyond. This is not only good for caregivers but also for all those living with dementia.”

Alberta Innovates is the province’s most comprehensive research and innovation agency. From funding to commercialization, it is Alberta’s innovation engine. Alberta Innovates fosters and accelerate research and innovation to benefit citizens and drive economic growth. It is currently managing a project portfolio worth $1.2 billion. Alberta Innovates works across sectors to fund, partner and enable entrepreneurship throughout the province. The corporation operates in 11 locations with more than one million sq ft of industrial testing and lab facilities and 600 acres of farmland. Alberta Innovates employs 589 highly skilled scientists, business and technical professionals and has an annual operating budget of $250 million. Learn how Alberta Innovates.