Locating the Elderly Overseen by Nurses - LEON

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed effort aims to develop a comprehensive wireless tracking and monitoring system for residents of Long Term Care facilities. The commercial product ElderAlertTM extends Q-Track's real-time location system totrack residents, caregivers, and medical assets within a LTC facility. ElderAlertTM directs caregivers to residents who have fallen or have called for assistance. Past position data is used to evaluate resident status and the quality of medical services. Fall alerts can dispatch immediate help to the precise location of the resident automatically without false alarms. Residents can summon assistance remotely giving them more mobility as they move through their Long Term Care facility. In Phase II Q-Track will include Human Subjects, residents and nurses in participatory design and prototyping. Furthermore, we will demonstrate location tracking of residents, staff, and medical equipment in a long term care facility. Our team includes geriatric researchers from the University of Alabama at Huntsville, the University of South Florida, and clinical partners Madison Manor and Sunrise Village. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Q-Track is developing the commercial product ElderAlertTM to provide comprehensive wireless tracking and location in Long Term Care (LTC) facilities. Leveraging a patented NFER(R) wireless technology, ElderAlertTM will deliver a cost-effective monitoring and paging platform for residents, nurses, and administrators alike. The goal of the project is to decrease response times and the incidence of falls while increasing the overall safety and care in Long Term Care facilities.