Wandering is a common behavior among people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Cognitive impairment can easily lead to disorientation and becoming lost too. Locator devices or global positioning systems (GPS) have been found helpful to caregivers, alerting them when a person with dementia leaves a designated area.
Though a number of products currently exist for tracking and locating people with dementia including bracelets and pendants with GPS systems implanted, a new everyday item using a locator device is being hailed as genius.
It’s All About The Shoes
Created by GTX corporation, a new set of shoes for dementia patients is considered the latest break through in the safety and care of patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The shoes are special due in large part to a hidden GPS system in the heel. Therefore, the wearer can put on their shoes and have their every step monitored without even knowing it. The shoes are being considered an especially smart idea as GPS locators in jewelry or other non-essential items can be left behind or ripped off in a state of panic. Despite their disorientation, dementia patients are still likely going to put on a pair of footwear before wandering away. These shoes can allow caregivers to establish safe zones and be alerted when the boundaries to those zones are breached.
Dr. Andrew Carle, a professor at George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services, spoke candidly about the shoes to Fox News. He said, “It’s especially important for people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s who are at the highest risk,”, and “They might be living in their home, but they’re confused. They go for a walk and they can get lost for days.” (1)
Source: Wish Hill
Potential Benefits
Using locator devices, whether in a shoe or through a smart phone, are thought to be beneficial for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia for several major reasons. With improving technology, the cost of GPS locators is becoming more affordable. As such, they are a cost-effective alternative to hiring workers to ‘babysit’ (or as I like to say for my grandma, ‘ladysit’) people with dementia and reduce the need to purchase other safety precautions (i.e. special door locks, window alarms, video monitoring, or restraints). Beyond helping those at risk of becoming lost or harmed, locator devices can also reduce caregiver burden, stress, and anxiety. Again though, any shoes or other personal items with a GPS locator are rendered useless when not worn, and thus should be evaluated for benefit on a case-by-case basis. (1, 2)
Ethical Concerns
Whenever a GPS is used to track another person, especially without their knowledge, ethical and legal concerns can arise. As a form of surveillance, GPS can diminish an individual’s autonomy and privacy. But for people with dementia, some advocates argue that the benefits of locator devices far outweigh the potential harm. In fact, GPS devices may be able to increase the privacy a person with dementia has by allowing them to work, relax, and go out for a walk without another person needing to be present in the exact same room or area. Instead, these patients can be monitored at a distance and offered autonomy within a certain zone. (2)
