Texas residents may be interested in a device that a George Mason University assistant professor in Virginia has developed that could prove valuable for tracking seniors with Alzheimer’s who wander away from their homes and caregivers.
The professor, who in addition to his academic duties is a consultant on issues involving senior housing, created a shoe with a GPS chip inside it to track the movement of seniors suffering from dementia in all its forms.
The technology does have its drawbacks. Namely, the initial cost of almost $300 and the monthly service plan ranging from $20 to $40 along with the necessity of charging the shoe on a daily basis. But for those who can afford it, it’s one more gate in the often complex gate-keeping system family members and loved ones of aging seniors with dementia employ.
Caring for a parent or loved one with declining mental and physical health can be a grueling and thankless task, and there are many facets to keeping senior citizens safe. Keeping not only their physical but their psychological health and financial affairs afloat in the event of their mental incapacity can be a real challenge. Other family members may refuse to cooperate or worse, try to exploit your loved one for nefarious reasons, such as their own financial gain.
In cases like that, loved ones with the senior citizen’s best interests at heart can step up to the plate and obtain a guardianship for them so that their affairs can be successfully managed and their assets preserved. If you are concerned over a loved one’s worsening dementia and possible financial exploitation, the advice of an El Paso estate attorney can be beneficial to protecting him or her, as well as a lifetime of assets.
Source:El Paso Inc., “Va. professor champions shoes with GPS tracking” No author given, Mar. 23, 2014
