Sussex innovator creates app to help prevent hearing loss

Amanda Philpott, from Alfriston, is co-creator of Eargym, an app that offers immersive games designed to challenge and strengthen a person’s hearing.

It also stimulates cognitive skills linked to memory and strategy.

 “We started eargym after discovering that age related hearing loss is the biggest factor in nine per cent of all dementia. I have experience of unaddressed hearing loss among my family, so know the difficulties it can cause,” said Ms Philpott.

“We want to support people in living well for longer, and hope Eargym will not only manage the symptoms of dementia but contribute to a reduction in the overall incidence of dementia.

"There are 26,500 people with dementia in Sussex, and soon to be a million across the UK. It is a disease that causes a lot of difficulties.”

Amanda Philpott, from Alfriston, created eargym to help people with hearing loss (Image: eargym)

Eargym was one of a handful of start-ups that received £100,000 from Alzheimer’s Society to help develop their product. 

Ms Philpott added: “The chance to partner with Alzheimer’s Society to achieve our goals was a huge opportunity for us, enabling eargym to benefit from the charity’s knowledge and also ensuring our design process included people with lived experience of dementia at the centre.”

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Peter Middleton, a former police officer, was diagnosed with young onset dementia in 2018.

He uses eargym to aid his concentration.

The 68 year-old said: “My dementia shows itself through anxiety and short-term memory issues. When I heard about eargym I was intrigued because my anxiety means I struggle concentrating in rooms with lots of chatter.

"Honing in on a particular conversation when there is background noise is something that everyone struggles with to a degree, but it is exacerbated for those with dementia.

“However, the app shows it is possible to train someone via repetition to concentrate better on conversations and make the process a little less scary for someone with dementia.”

Peter Middleton uses eargym to help with his dementia (Image: eargym)

Eargym puts the user in a simulation of a noisy environment such as a café or train station and asks them to play the role of barista or ticket attendant.

The user prepares orders or remembers station stops and as it continues the background noise becomes more intense and customers less clear.

You then get a score to track your memory retention and ability at blocking out distractions.

eargym uses scenarios to help users improve their hearing and memory (Image: eargym)

Mr Middleton said: “Eargym has helped me having conversations when socialising with friends. It is immensely useful for those like me, or with early onset dementia who want to keep mentally active and stimulated to maintain a better quality of life for longer.

“People affected by dementia can still learn new skills and enhance old ones, even after a diagnosis and that is what Eargym does.”