Care Assistant for Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia During Out of the Home Activities

Abstract Increases in life expectancy together with demographic trends have fueled a rapid increase in America’s elderly population. As the number of older Americans has grown, so has the prevalence of aging-associated diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other related dementias (ADRD). An estimated 5.4 Million Americans had AD in 2012, and that number is expected to double by 2030. It is estimated that most of these patients (70%) live at home where they receive 75% of their care from informal caregivers who are unpaid individuals such as family members, friends, and neighbors. The natural progression of the disease and its burdensome behaviors cause significant stress for caregivers who frequently have close relationships to the patient. Among caregivers of dementia patients, wandering behavior is one of the most stress-provoking symptoms. Wandering 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 caregiver. Family caregivers often cannot leave patients home alone, and instead must bring them on errands to large and complex indoor environments which present additional risk for an AD patient to wander. Koronis Biomedical Technologies will develop a tracking solution that will give peace of mind to caregivers in both stationary and mobile scenarios, alerting the caregiver to wandering behavior and allowing them to quickly locate their loved one. It will consist of a monitoring system that features geo-fencing and wireless tether modes for both indoor and outdoor use. Efficacy of the proposed system will be assessed by family caregivers through a pilot clinical study, as well as through engineering evaluations.