One in eight South Bend residents older than 65 may be dealing with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Their caregivers need to be constantly watching, as these individuals often wander and may become lost. But with GPS tracking technology embedded in their shoes, they will be trackable when they leave a predefined safe area.
Aetrex Worldwide, Inc., recently began marketing Ambulator GPS shoes, which feature the latest GPS tracking technology embedded in the base of the heel with location coordinates sent to a central monitoring station.
The concept was conceived by GTX Corp, a leader in customizable, two-way GPS solutions. The shoes, which look like their conventional counterparts, also are designed with senior foot comfort in mind. They feature shock absorbing polyurethane footbeds for cushioning and support and a gripping polyurethane outsole for traction and stability while walking.
“The simplicity behind the GPS Shoe is that when a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia wanders off more than a pre-set distance, their caregiver will immediately receive an alert on their smartphone and computer, with a direct link to a Google map plotting the wanderer’s location,” claims the Aetrex website.
In mid-October, GTX Corp announced it entered into a fulfillment and customer service agreement with Aetrex and Omnilink Systems. The first 3,000 GPS Shoe devices were shipped to Aetrex for insertion into its shoes in late last month. MedicAlert Foundation also is part of the alliance and provides 24/7 location-based emergency services for Aetrex GPS Shoe customers.
“As the GPS Shoe transitions from vision to reality. . . we are excited and honored to align ourselves with these exceptional companies,” said Patrick Bertagna, GTX Corp chairman and CEO.
“We are very excited to now have the GPS Shoe available as one of the first human-wearable, location-monitoring device options for this market,” said Kelly Gay, Omnilink’s president and CEO.
“Through this alliance, our objective is to provide another service option that helps families and other caregivers to ensure the safety of individuals living with Alzheimer’s. and that first responders have the necessary information in an emergency to effectively address their needs,” stated Andrew Wigglesworth, president and CEO of MedicAlert Foundation.
Ambulator GPS shoes are expected to retail at $299; the monthly service fee for monitoring is expected to cost about $35. Foot Solutions – Granger is the local dealer for Aetrex shoes.
Comments