A: Our Dakim BrainFitness products for SLP (Senior Living Providers) and HCP (Healthcare Professionals) are intended specifically for seniors over age 60. The exercises feature content at five different levels of challenge and are appropriate for a wide range of individual abilities, from those with normal brain function to those with mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment.

A: To help older adults fight memory loss and lead vibrant lives! Decades of medical research studies have concluded that memory loss can be fought with broad based cognitive stimulation versus doing the same thing over and over, such as crossword or Sudoku puzzles. The Dakim program ensures that all domains of the brain are exercised in every session.

A: Experts have found that brain health is a "use it or lose it" proposition. Dakim BrainFitness turns rigorous cognitive exercise into a compelling and enjoyable experience, so participants are encouraged to keep coming back for more. Dakim BrainFitness is not an activity like Bingo or Bounce Volleyball. It is a clinically tested program aimed at the mental health of your residents.

A: Residents simply press (or click) the large green "Press Here To Begin" button on any device registered for Dakim BrainFitness—a Dakim touchscreen, PC, Mac, or iPad. They then enter their initials and their customized cognitive workout begins. Dakim's SeniorCentric interface has been designed so residents can use Dakim BrainFitness on their own.

A: Dakim touchscreen computers make it easy for residents who are computer phobic and those suffering from arthritis or Parkinsons disease who have trouble manipulating a mouse or keyboard to engage in the program.

A: It's easy with our online application called DakimADMIN. Staff members can access DakimADMIN from any computer with their user name and password. If you are the Lead DakimADMIN administrator the password was provided by Dakim at the time of purchase. If you are not the Lead DakimADMIN administrator then the person who is can create passwords for all staff who will be administering the program.

A: Yes! DakimADMIN automatically sends your designated staff members monthly usage reports or they can generate them themselves. Usage reports serve as great motivational tools, helping to remind residents to keep their minds active with our Evidence-Based program.

A: Yes! Using DakimADMIN, staff members can generate Dakim BrainTrac reports, which show how each resident is doing in each of the six cognitive domains exercised, over time. (Resident permission is required up front in order to generate these reports.)

A: The default session length is about 20 minutes. This is long enough to provide a comprehensive workout, while also giving the Dakim program enough information from the player’s responses to automatically fine tune the level of challenge in each cognitive domain.

A: No, Dakim BrainFitness assembles each session for your residents while they play. Using proprietary technology, Dakim software selects new exercises at the appropriate level of challenge, in a wide variety of cognitive areas, and serves them up one after another. In this way, the system allows a resident to become fully immersed, promoting greater concentration and a positive, energized state that psychologists refer to as flow.

A: Dakim BrainFitness exercises all six essential cognitive domains in every session, including short-term memory, long-term memory, language, computation, visuospatial orientation, and executive function.

A: No, Dakim BrainFitness provides a rigorous cognitive workout based on proven neurological science and exercises. Its purpose is to build cognitive capacity and confidence, without the stigma associated with a test. If residents are interested in an independent cognitive assessment, we encourage them to obtain one from one of the many online sources or through their physician.

A: We recommend playing Dakim BrainFitness 3-5 times a week for maximum benefit.

A: Dakim BrainFitness content consists of thousands of individual challenges in approximately 100 different formats. In addition, new challenges and exercise types are being developed by the Dakim content department; as they become available, your Dakim BrainFitness Touchscreen computers automatically download them and incorporate them into user sessions.

A: There is no timeline on staying mentally sharp, so residents should just make Dakim part of their weekly health regimen. The Dakim program consists of hundreds of hours of material within all five challenge levels—enough to support years of recommended use with minimal repeats. As residents play, new challenges are being created and added, keeping their workouts fresh.

A: To enquire about community sales, contact Rick Sill, VP of Sales at 1-888-693-2546.

A: Our technical support staff is available to assist you by phone or by e-mail. Our Dakim BrainFitness units continuously and automatically self-diagnose their hardware, operating system, the Dakim BrainFitness application, and all the digital elements of the exercises. Minor problems are repaired remotely via the Internet. Units under warranty that can’t be repaired remotely will be replaced. Plus, Dakim BrainFitness units will automatically download and install new exercises and important software updates whenever they are available.

A: Yes! When you purchase the Dakim program you receive a DVD that has print ready files of posters, postcards, and table-tents, all helping to motivate resident usage and showing prospective residents that brain health matters in your community. Just select the ones you want and print them. The DVD also includes scripts and videos so you can easily describe the Dakim program to residents at group meetings. And pre-written letters describing Dakim BrainFitness are also available, making outreach to new prospects a snap!

A: Dakim has engineered Dakim BrainFitness to require little or no training or caregiver involvement in a player’s session. Most players can start sessions without intervention or assistance from anyone.

A: Alzheimer’s (AHLZ-high-merz) disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually affects a person’s memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations. Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, new treatments are on the horizon as a result of accelerating insight into the biology of the disease. Research has also shown that effective care and support can improve quality of life for individuals and their caregivers over the course of the disease.

A: Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a group of conditions that lead to progressive decline in mental function. Vascular dementia, another common form, results from reduced blood flow to the brain’s nerve cells. Other causes of dementia include frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

A: Yes! A clinical trial of our program was managed by UCLA and the results showed significant improvements in both memory (immediate and delayed) and language skills for those people who used over a six month timeframe. The results of the trial were peer reviewed and published in the July, 2013 issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

A: Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions. (Source: Alzheimer's Association)

A: Dementia is the loss of mental functions such as thinking, memory, and reasoning that is severe enough to interfere with a person's daily functioning. Dementia is not a disease itself, but rather a group of symptoms that are caused by various diseases or conditions. Symptoms can also include changes in personality, mood, and behavior. (Source: WebMD)

A: The MMSE is one of the tests commonly used to assess mental function. In the MMSE, a health professional asks a person a series of questions designed to test a range of everyday mental skills. The maximum MMSE score is 30 points. A score of 20 - 24 suggests mild dementia, 13 - 20 suggests moderate dementia, and less than 12 indicates severe dementia. On average, the MMSE score of a person with Alzheimer’s declines by about 2 - 4 points each year. (Source: Alzheimer's Association)

A: Not yet. However, research continues, and until a cure is found, many experts believe that ongoing cognitive stimulation may be the most effective method of combating its debilitating effects.

A: Neuroplasticity describes the brain’s amazing capacity to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences over the course of a lifetime, and constantly change its structure and function in response to external stimuli. Just as the muscles in your body grow and become stronger when they are exercised, your brain, like a muscle, will physically change to accommodate new information.

A: Studies have shown that cognitive stimulation can boost intellectual power, help maintain mental functions such as problem solving, and even improve memory. The results of a recent multi-centre study suggest that frequent cognitive activity in seniors is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, while passive pursuits, such as watching television, offer no protection against dementia or the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

A: Yes. Numerous studies conducted over decades support broad-based mental stimulation as an effective means of combating cognitive decline as we age. The Dakim program specifically has been clinically tested and showed significant improvements in both memory and language for those adults using the program for at least six months.

A: Yes! A clinical trial of our program was managed by UCLA and the results showed significant improvements in both memory (immediate and delayed) and language skills for those people who used over a six month timeframe. The results of the trial were peer reviewed and published in the July, 2013 issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

A: Upon reaching their fifties, about 40% of the population experiences some middle-age memory lapses. About 50% of people in their sixties have episodes of forgetting, and 70% of people age seventy and older have some memory loss. Brain aging begins much earlier than anyone imagined - as early as our twenties, decades before you would think you were at risk. Only about one-third of the risk for Alzheimer’s can be linked to genetics, while two-thirds can involve toxic exposure or our own lifestyle choices. Denial that the brain is aging is perhaps the biggest obstacle to beginning a cognitive fitness/memory improvement program. The sooner all of us begin such a program, the sooner we will be on the path to keeping our brains young and healthy!

A: Yes. Dakim BrainFitness units frequently update their content so players will continue to seen new exercises and continue to come back for more. These updates occur automatically over the Internet during a download window, which normally takes place overnight. Dakim BrainFitness units may be disconnected from the Internet during the day while they are in use; however, they should be reconnected at the end of day to ensure that they are ready for the overnight download window.

A: Alcohol-free wipes are suitable for cleaning all surfaces on the Dakim BrainFitness unit. CAUTION: DO NOT use wipes or cleaners containing alcohol to clean the screen. Alcohol-based cleaners will degrade the functionality of the touch screen and will void the warranty.

A: Yes. Dakim BrainFitness units frequently update their content so players will continue to see new exercises and continue to come back for more. These updates occur automatically over the Internet during a download window, which normally takes place overnight. Dakim BrainFitness units may be disconnected from the Internet during the day while they are in use; however, they should be reconnected at the end of day to ensure that they are ready for the overnight download window.

A: Our technical support staff is available to assist you by phone or by e-mail. Our Dakim BrainFitness units continuously and automatically self-diagnose their hardware, operating system, the Dakim BrainFitness application, and all the digital elements of the exercises. Minor problems are repaired remotely via the Internet. Plus, Dakim BrainFitness units will automatically download and install new exercises and important software updates whenever they are available.

A: Alcohol-free wipes are suitable for cleaning all surfaces on the Dakim BrainFitness unit. CAUTION: DO NOT use wipes or cleaners containing alcohol to clean the screen. Alcohol-based cleaners will degrade the functionality of the touch screen and will void the warranty.

A: Dakim's touchscreen computers can be connected to projectors but they cannot connect to a large screen TV.

A: Yes, you can purchase external speakers for the Dakim BrainFitness unit by calling our toll free number at 800-856-5502 or by sending an e-mail request to purchase@dakim.com.

A: You can purchase additional headphones from this website, by calling our toll-free number at 800-856-5502 or sending us an e-mail to purchase@dakim.com.

A: Yes, we can provide several varieties of headphones for users with hearing aids, including headphones with inductive output only or with one side inductive and the other audio. To enquire about this type of headphone, call our toll free number at 800-856-5502 or send an e-mail to purchase@dakim.com.

A: Yes! You can download Dakim BrainFitness Professional from the iOS App Store. (Make sure you select Dakim BrainFitness Professional for download, and not Dakim BrainFitness Active.)