What it does
Alzheimer's disease and dementia affect many of our loved ones every year; in fact, 76,000 diagnoses of dementia are made every year in Canada. One of the largest issues caused by Alzheimer's is the loss of ability to make informed, cognitive decisions about their finances. This makes such patients especially vulnerable to things such as scams and high-pressure sales tactics. Here's an unfortunate real-life example of this: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/senior-alzheimers-upsold-bell-products-source-1.6014904 We were inspired by this heartbreaking story to build HeimWallet.
HeimWallet is a digital banking solution that allows for supervision over a savings account owned by an individual incapable of managing their finances, and is specifically tailored to patients with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. It can be thought of as a mobile debit card linked to a savings account that only allows spending if certain conditions set by a designated guardian are met.
It allows a family member or other trusted guardian to set a daily allowance for a patient and keep track of their purchases. It also allows guardians to keep tabs on the location of patients via GPS every time a purchase is attempted, and to authorize or refuse attempted purchases that go beyond the daily allowance. This ensures that patients and their guardians can have confidence that the patient's assets are in safe hands. Further, the daily allowance feature empowers patients to be independent and shop with confidence, knowing that their disease will not be able to dominate their finances.
The name "HeimWallet" comes from "-Heim" in "Alzheimer's". It also alludes to Heimdall, the mythical Norse guardian of the bridge leading to Asgard.
How we built it
The frontend was built using React-Native and Expo, while the backend was made using Python (Flask) and MongoDB. SMS functionality was added using Twilio, and location services were added using Google Maps API. The backend was also deployed to Heroku.
We chose React-Native because it allowed us to build our app for both iOS and Android using one codebase. Expo enabled rapid testing and prototyping of our app.
Flask's lightweightness was key in getting the backend built under tight time constraints, and MongoDB was a natural choice for our database since we were building our app using JavaScript.
Twilio enabled us to create a solution that worked even for guardians who did not have the app installed. Its text message-based interactions enabled us to build a product accessible to those without smartphones or mobile data.
We deployed our backend to Heroku so that Twilio could access our backend's webhook for incoming text messages.
Finally, the Google Maps API's reverse geocoding feature enables guardians to see the addresses of where patients are located when a transaction is attempted.
Challenges we ran into
- Fighting with Heroku for almost six hours to get the backend deployed. The core mistake ended up being that we were trying to deploy our Python-based backend as a Node.js app.. oops.
- Learning to use React Native -- all of us were new to it, and although we all had experience building web apps, we didn't quite have that same foundation with mobile apps.
- Incorporating Figma designs on React Native in a way such that it is cross-platform between Android, iOS, and Web. A lot of styling works differently between these platforms, so it was tricky to make our app look consistent everywhere.
- Managing mix of team members who were hacking in-person + online. Constant communication to keep everyone in the loop was key!
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We're super proud that we managed to come together and make our vision a reality! And we're especially proud of how much we learned and took away from this hackathon. From learning React Native, to Twilio, to getting better with Figma and sharpening our video-editing skills for our submission, it was thrilling to have gained exposure to so much in so little time. We're also proud of the genuine hard work every member of our team put in to make this project happen -- we worked deep into the A.M. hours, and constantly sought to improve the usability of our product with continuous suggestions and improvements.
What's next for HeimWallet
Here are some things we think we can add on to HeimWallet in order to bring it to the next level:
- Proper integration of SOS (e.g. call 911) and Send Location functionality in the patient interface
- Ability to have multiple guardians for one patient, so that there are many eyes safeguarding the same assets
- Better security and authentication features for the app; of course, security is vital in a fintech product
- Feature to allow patients to send a voice memo to a guardian in order to clarify a spending request
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