People with dementia are sometimes prone to hiding when they feel lost or scared

Restlessness and memory loss are a dangerous combination for people with dementia: They’re likely to leave familiar settings for situations they aren’t equipped to handle alone.

Dementia patients who might otherwise be able to live at home are often placed in assisted living facilities because their tendency to wander puts themselves or others in harm’s way.

Wandering seniors make the news every day. In fact, 35 states have implemented Silver Alert systems focused on notifying law enforcement about missing seniors with dementia and other individuals with cognitive impairments.

One solution to the problem may be right underfoot.

SmartSoles are insoles that are easily adapted to most types of shoe. Equipped with a GPS and cell capabilities, they send a message to a caregiver’s phone as soon as the person with dementia walks beyond a designated area, such as the confines of a home and backyard area.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, six in 10 people with dementia will wander. One in four hospital beds are occupied by dementia patients, usually because they’ve fallen or become dehydrated after a long wander.

People with dementia are sometimes prone to hiding when they feel lost or scared, risking their health and alarming their caregivers.

Manufactured by Los Angeles-based GTX Corp., SmartSoles can help prevent these hospital visits while ensuring loved ones with dementia are always accounted for.

SmartSoles are available around the world, and are one of a host of trackers designed to help keep people with dementia from wandering into harm’s way.

See full article at: https://considerable.com/shoes-track-dementia-patients/