GPS Shoes Now Available for Alzheimer’s Patients

posted on Nov 21 by Guest Author in the Disability News, Technology category

GTX Corp, developer of miniaturized Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) tracking and location-transmitting technology, recently joined forces with the footwear firm Aetrex Worldwide to create the first walking shoes equipped with built-in GPS devices. These specially-equipped shoes were designed to help family and caretakers locate Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patients who may wander off and get lost.

GTX and Aetrex received certification from the Federal Communications Commission this year for their GPS system. The system is implanted in the heel of what appears to be a normal walking shoe. It then allows caretakers or family members to monitor the wearer and set up a “geofence” that triggers an alert, if the wearer travels beyond a certain area. These shoes are ideal for dementia or Alzheimers suffers who refuse to wear medical pendants or bracelets designed to provide similar protection.

“The primary reason is that paranoia is a manifestation of the disease,” said Professor Andrew Carle of the George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services, who was also an adviser on this project. “If you put something on someone with Alzeheimer’s that they don’t recognize, they remove it. If it’s a wristwatch and it’s not their wristwatch, they will take it off. So you have to hide it.”

Studies indicate that over five million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s, according to Carle. That figure will likely quadruple in the next few years. Sixty percent of suffers wander off and get lost, and nearly half of those who are not found within 24 hours may die from injury, dehydration, or exposure.

Carle said the shoes could save lives and prevent embarrassing incidents. “It’s especially important for people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s who are at the highest risk,” he told AFP. “They might be living in their home but they’re confused. They go for a walk, and they can get lost for days.”

The increasing costs of Alzheimer’s may result in a rapidly growing market for these specialized walking shoes. GTX chief executive Patrick Bertagna stated, “This is a significant milestone for both companies and while the $604 billion worldwide cost of dementia has become and will continue to be a significant fiscal challenge, the under $300 GPS enabled shoes will ease the enormous physical and emotional burden borne by Alzheimer’s victims, caregivers and their geographically distant family members.”

The shoes were originally going to be designed solely for long-distance runners and children, but Carle advised the makers that the shoes could benefit seniors as well, especially seniors who want to maintain an active lifestyle. “They feel a need to walk and it is good for them,” he said. “They should take a walk. It’s good for them.”

According to GTX, the first batch of the GPS-equipped shoes have been shipped to Aetrex. They will cost around $300, and buyers will be able to set up a service to monitor loved ones who have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

To learn more about these GPS shoes, visit GTX Corp’s website at www.gpsshoe.com or watch the videos below:

Source:
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/10/24/gps_shoesforalzheimerspatients/

Video source:
http://www.gpsshoe.com/

Image sources:
gpsshoe.com
rawstory.com