Care Assistant for Family Caregivers of Alzheimer Patients During Out of the Home Activities

Abstract Increases in life expectancy together with demographic trends have fueled a rapid increase in Americaandapos s elderly populationAs the number of older Americans has grownso has the prevalence of aging associated diseasesincluding Alzheimerandapos s DiseaseADand dementiaAn estimatedMillion Americans had AD inthat number is expected to double byIt is estimated that most these patientslive at home where they receiveof their care from informal caregiversunpaid individuals such as family membersfriendsand neighborsThe natural progression of the disease and its burdensome behaviors cause significant stress for caregivers who frequently have close relationships to the patientAmong caregivers of dementia patientswandering behavior is one of the most stress provoking symptomsWandering is a common symptom that encompasses various walking behaviors that can result in the patient becoming lost or disoriented leading to the risk of serious injury or death for the patient and stress and reduced independence for the caregiverFamily caregivers often cannot leave patients home aloneand instead must bring them on errands to large complex indoor environmentsKoronis Biomedical Technologies will develop a prototype patient tracking solution that will give peace of mind to caregivers in both stationary and mobile scenariosalerting the caregiver to wandering behavior and allowing them to quickly locate their loved oneIt will consist of a monitoring system that features geo fencing and tether modes for both indoor and outdoor useFeasibility and usability of the prototype system will be assessed by family caregivers through a series of focus groupsas well as engineering evaluations Narrative Informal and family caregivers provide three quarters of the care for Americaandapos s dementia population at a great economic and emotional cost to themselvesThese caregivers experience significant stress due to the burdensome behaviors associated with dementiaA significant source of stress is associated with a common disease behavior known as wandering or elopementThe proposed research seeks to develop a comprehensive caregiver tracking assistant device to reduce these burdensand to facilitate greater caregiver independence