A Passive Safety Monitoring System for Electric Powered Wheelchairs Operators with Alzheimer s disease AD and Cognitive Impairments

Project Summary Abstract Proposed is a passive safety monitoring system for wheelchair operators with or at risk of developing Alzheimerandapos s disease AD and cognitive impairments Significance Many older adults have chronic health conditions that limit mobility and thus wheelchair use is essential for maintaining independence However when an older wheelchair user exhibits signs of cognitive decline related to developing dementia caregivers must make hard subjective choices trading safety with independent mobility Currently there is no system that can monitor and quantify subtly diminishing driving abilities Hypothesis We hypothesize that direct observation of a wheelchair userandapos s driving behavior can quantitatively distinguish between normal and impaired operation Such a system could inform caregivers before an incident that intervention may be necessary and wheelchair use should be reviewed and possibly suspended Conversely it may allow many patients to continue wheelchair use by providing caregivers a consistent in community measure of a patientandapos s abilities reflecting their current cognitive state Specific Aims To prove the feasibility of the proposed system in Phase I IDL and its collaborators will generate user centric requirements through focus group discussions develop prototype system electronics and mechanical packaging design andamp implement system software and algorithms and assess system performance through laboratory testing Project Narrative Mobility impairments occur in people of all ages however the majority of Americans using wheelchairs are elderly In an estimated million Americans used wheelchairs of which were Electronic Powered Wheelchairs EPW the wheelchair population has been increasing by per year and many of these users will be residing in institutional care settings It is estimated that as of in individuals aged is afflicted with Alzheimerandapos s disease AD approximately million individuals This number expected to increase to million by When an older wheelchair user exhibits signs of cognitive decline related to developing dementia caregivers must make hard subjective choices favoring safety over independent mobility