GPS in Shoes for Alzheimer’s Patients
Not Track Shoes, But Tracking Shoes
When Dad’s on the move and you’re concerned he might wander too far and get lost, put on his tracking shoes.
Not “track shoes,” of the athletic variety, but “tracking shoes,” of the GPS variety.
A GPS tracking device dealer in Europe has teamed with a shoe manufacturer to make shoes fitted with tracking systems available for Alzheimer’s patients.
It’s not available yet. A prototype is said to be coming by the end of 2009, and assuming the technology is a success, a debut sometime in 2010.
Alzheimer’s a Devastating Disease of Memory
Alzheimer’s disease is considered one of the main forms of dementia, a brain disorder, which gradually robs the sufferer of his abilities to remember, imagine and learn. The disease usually affects those people who are above 60 years of age, but there is also a progressive and rare form of Alzheimer’s disease that strikes people in their early 40s and 50s. Numerous drugs are used to treat symptoms, which include anxiety and depression. But the disease itself is not curable.
Family members who are taking care of loved ones with Alzheimer’s might soon have another tool in their arsenal: a pair of GPS shoes enabled with GPS tracking technology. Will it be a savior or a savings-drainer for those patients suffering from this malady?
Details About GPS Tracking Shoes
A GPS tracking device is embedded in the heels of the patient’s shoes. The unit will track the location of the patient, whenever he or she walks or moves from one location to another. The shoes contain a computer chip, modem, and a wireless GPS tracking antenna. As the person walks, GPS tracking data is transmitted to a monitoring center. The data includes location, direction, speed and time and date. Family members might notice that these James Bond-style GPS tracking shoes function very much like a vehicle tracking system. At regular intervals every few seconds, satellites fix on the location of the GPS tracking receiver in the shoes. When the patient goes missing, hospital administrators or family members simply go on a computer and find the patient by their GPS tracking coordinates, with the click of a mouse. Or they “ping” or prompt a GPS tracking position capture through a network reporting service.
The reporting method will vary by the brand of GPS tracking device and its supporting software.
GPS tracking shoes are not limited to Alzheimer’s patients, though that is the target market at this time. The shoes might be used for keeping track of kids’ movements or in military operations.
Critics of this still-experimental GPS tracking application argue one of the weaknesses in this tracking system innovation: The problem the caregiver cannot be certain that the Alzheimer’s patient will be wearing the GPS tracking shoes when they disappear. Elderly people tend to resist or remove things that are new or unfamiliar to them. Also, many Alzheimer’s patients spend extended periods of time at rest or in bed. The likelihood they will be wearing these shoes while wandering is slim.
Facts and Figures
Experts in the field of Alzheimer’s care say that, at least once in a patient’s progression of the disease, he or she will suffer “critical wandering incidents.” These are described as a distraction from one’s normal course, accompanied by forgetfulness, or failure to remember the original path. Properly-operated GPS tracking systems could provide 24-hour monitoring of people with dementia.
A few important facts to consider:
- Worldwide, more than 26 million people are affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and by 2050, it is expected that the figure might exceed 106 million.
- One in eight people, age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease.
- Women are more likely than men to have Alzheimer’s, probably because they live longer.
Would-be innovators are coming up with different versions of GPS tracking shoes for Alzheimer’s patients. They hold promise as to results. However none of these GPS tracking solutions has yet made it to market and mass-production with a proven record.
- A European manufacturer claims his GPS tracking shoes will record position every 10 seconds and have an accuracy of within 30 feet.
- Another set of GPS tracking shoes is backed up by Bluetooth technology and patients are supposedly traceable via cell phones by their friends or caretakers.
- Someone suggested GPS tracking shoes fitted with a subtle “buzz” feature – almost like a homing device – which will audibly guide the wearer to move or turn in a certain direction in order to reach his desired destination. This application would combine GPS tracking and navigation.
More Information
GPS tracking shoes for Alzheimer’s patients is still an unproven application, but a great deal of information is available on it over the Internet due to consumer curiosity. Other GPS tracking devices marketed for the elderly include add-on features to cell phones, pagers and timers, necklace-style pendants and watches with GPS tracking.
GPS tracking devices have a number of uses, well beyond vehicle tracking. When GPS tracking is applied to Alzheimer’s care, the consumer must try to strike a balance between what is practical, what is economical and what is a reasonable way to keep our loved one out of harm’s way.
Tags: alzheimer, GPS, Shoe, system, Tracking
No related posts.
