Tracking shoes to help dementia sufferers - footwearbiz: Leading site

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Tracking shoes to help dementia sufferers

25/04/2013
GPS specialist Rocky Mountain Tracking and footwear company Aetrex Worldwide have collaborated to produce a shoe they say can “protect and find individuals with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia who have a tendency to wander and become lost”.

Tom Baranowski, general manager of Rocky Mountain Tracking, said: "They are great shoes, but the primary feature is they can be life-saving in the case of an emergency. They allow caregivers and family members to live their lives a bit more worry-free."

The shoe has an embedded GPS device in the base of the right heel that provides real-time tracking. The device relays the data to a central monitoring station, accessible from a website. If someone walks too far from a pre-set location – which is called a geozone or geofence – the owner can be notified with an email or text. The feature can be used to locate the wearer at any time in case of an emergency.

However, there may be some privacy issues to be tackled regarding people being tracked against their will.

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