A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is terrifying, not just because of the devastating changes this disease inflicts on a previously healthy person, but for the ease at which it seems to strike. The number of Alzheimer’s sufferers in the U.S. is around 5 million. Approximately 50% of them are newly diagnosed. People who are just beginning to experience the symptoms of Alzheimer’s may be able to remain independent for several years before the disease hits with its full impact on the brain, destroying their memories and their lives. As the disease progresses, Alzheimer’s patients often develop symptoms, like not recognizing where they are or remembering their destination. If they are taking a stroll, or driving when this occurs, they can get hopelessly lost. Wherever you go, you will hear stories from people whose loved ones have been stricken with Alzheimer’s, and how they have become bogged down with the responsibility of caring for these individuals on a daily basis. A lady from Texas whose father has Alzheimer’s disease is just starting to realize how devastating her father’s disease truly is. The previously alert elderly gentlemen would always take a 5 mile stroll through the beautiful streets of their town. Now, he becomes confused all of a sudden and forgets where he is going in the middle of the walk. When it comes to missing elderly patients, the statistics are frightening. Nearly 3 million individuals are currently missing.

Silver Alerts has been in existence for some time now, operating in 11 states, including the state of Texas. If an Alzheimer’s patient is missing, certain ads are shown immediately on TV and heard on the radio, to help people look for the unfortunate person. In the majority of cases, the missing individual is found within a short time. However, for individuals like the woman in that story, there is new hope from the Alzheimer’s Association. There are several types of technologically advanced high-tech options on the market for Alzheimer’s patients these days; they combine elements of GPS technology, cellular technology, and the same technology that corrections systems use with parolees.

Even GPS navigation can do only just so much. GPS can help Alzheimer’s patients who get lost, but the families still need some way to keep track of where they are going. An innovative new product with this technology is called the Comfort Zone program.

Households that choose this system receive multiple transmitter devices. One type can go in your vehicle, one can go in your pocket, one can go in the patient’s footwear, and the last type can be worn by the Alzheimer’s patient on their wrist. The caretakers receive a signal from the transmitter, which they can monitor online, getting real-time data indicating exactly where their loved one is any time they want to know. A caregiver is able to monitor the comings and goings of their loved one, and intervene immediately if they seem to be headed in a bad direction. You can set up to system to recognize a specific area in the neighborhood that the Alzheimer’s patients are not allowed to leave. If this does occur, loved ones are notified immediately.

Here is what it does. Transmitter devices track locations with the assistance of cell towers and GPS technology. What’s more, they perform this in real time. The earlier systems relied entirely on GPS, which wasn’t reliable if the equipment was in a basement or deep inside a big building, where a GPS signal can be lost. However, any cellular towers in the vicinity continue to have access. Caretakers still must keep up with strict supervision of the Alzheimer’s patient. By using modern technology to keep an eye on things, however, the supervision does not have to be quite as rigorous. This is a big comfort to caregivers everywhere.