Image Credit: GTX Corp
From the outside, GTX Corp’s GPS shoes look just like Grandpa’s typical choice of footwear. But hidden on the inside is a tracking system that helps people know when their relative with Alzheimer’s has wandered off and, if so, where he is. This technology could finally solve the problem of elderly patients with dementia who have a tendency to go astray. Worsening that problem is the fact that often, the patient doesn’t realize he’s lost, making him even more difficult to find.
The tracking device in the shoes helps address that issue by allowing family members to set boundaries around their home and yard. If the patient wanders outside of the lines, their family will be notified of their location via Google Maps on a phone. GTX’s innovative shoes will be available later this month, and will cost $300 up front in addition to a monthly subscription fee of up to $40. It’s certainly an investment, but it could mean that not all who wander are lost.
[via NYT]
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