Using GSM to Help Alzheimer's Patients

The Canadian company Medical Intelligence has developed a bracelet for Alzheimer's patients that can message key people via a GSM network when a patient wanders out of a "secure zone" as monitored via A-GPS. The rate of Alzheimer's patients that "wander" or "stray" is almost 60%, with a high death rate when they are not found quickly. The innovation introduced today is a definitive solution to the problems that families, caregivers and police authorities must deal with.

Columba, the new geopositioning phone-bracelet, required three years of research and development. Louis Massicotte, founding president of Medical Intelligence, had the idea of creating the bracelet after the repeated wanderings of his own mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's.

To prevent any disappearance, the Columba bracelet automatically detects any departure from a security zone surrounding the residence or nursing home. The "zone" is pre-determined by the patient's family or caregiver. The Columba then alerts a medical assistance centre that promptly contacts the family or caregiver to coordinate assistance efforts.

If required, the medical assistance centre, which operates 24-7, can accurately geoposition the bracelet wearer and establish audio communication using Columba's "handsfree" feature.

The Columba has a GPS-Assisted positioning system, a GSM/GPRS transmitter/receiver with a SIM card for voice and data, and an intelligent alert detection system.

The very first implementation of the system will take place this summer in Paris at the Medidep Brune nursing home, and use the Orange phone network.

Nearly 800,000 people suffer from Alzheimer's in France, three-quarters of whom are in a home-care situation. Alzheimer's affects close to 10% of the population over the age of 65.

"To successfully keep Alzheimer's patients in the home, we must do our utmost to guarantee their safety", says Dr. St

Posted to the site on 6th June 2005