7.06.2004
As usual, our goal is to provide the most interesting and potentially useful developments and news relating to preventing memory loss and improving quality of life for everyone. We have come across a very interesting application in Spain which should be used in the U.S.
The regional government of the Balearic Isles is (here is a map) to provide the islands' senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease sufferers with around 3,000 mobile tracking devices through its Public Health Commission. The project, which has a budget of around 48,000 euros, will be launched in July.
Martes, 6 julio 2004
The project was approved by the Commission, which will permit the authorisation for the grant for the project to be published at the end of June.
The device will make it possible to track persons with Alzheimer's-related problems who are in the first and second stages of the disease and still possess a certain degree of mobility.
These devices have a button which the person presses if they get lost, which puts them in contact with the emergency services. Families must have an income below the level of the Official Minimum Wage to qualify for the device.
GPS and GSM, the perfect combination for tracking patients
The future of systems for tracking patients lies in the conjunction of mobile technologies such as GPS and GSM, which provide almost perfect triangulations to determine the exact position and track a certain group of patients.
Numerous projects have been presented based on the use of mobile technologies, but the groundbreaking feature of this project is that it uses the GPS communication system, which uses GSM when the former cannot be used.
Both systems are used for reasons of efficiency since GPS is much more effective and precise in obtaining locations, but requires an aerial that is pointed at the sky. This can be problematic in cities where there are a large number of obstacles that cast a shadow over the generator. In these cases the transmitter device changes signal and begins operating in the same way as any mobile that transmits messages - such as traditional text messages - to a main computer which indicates the street location of the user if they are in a city and reports their exact coordinates if they are in a rural environment. In this way the patient is always supervised because it only requires coverage.
Persons affected by dementia suffer a progressive deterioration in their thought processes and behavioural changes that make it difficult for them to continue with their daily routine. Their behaviour also changes. The most common symptoms are memory loss, orientation problems and difficulty in taking precautions
The regional government of the Balearic Isles is (here is a map) to provide the islands' senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease sufferers with around 3,000 mobile tracking devices through its Public Health Commission. The project, which has a budget of around 48,000 euros, will be launched in July.
Martes, 6 julio 2004
The project was approved by the Commission, which will permit the authorisation for the grant for the project to be published at the end of June.
The device will make it possible to track persons with Alzheimer's-related problems who are in the first and second stages of the disease and still possess a certain degree of mobility.
These devices have a button which the person presses if they get lost, which puts them in contact with the emergency services. Families must have an income below the level of the Official Minimum Wage to qualify for the device.
GPS and GSM, the perfect combination for tracking patients
The future of systems for tracking patients lies in the conjunction of mobile technologies such as GPS and GSM, which provide almost perfect triangulations to determine the exact position and track a certain group of patients.
Numerous projects have been presented based on the use of mobile technologies, but the groundbreaking feature of this project is that it uses the GPS communication system, which uses GSM when the former cannot be used.
Both systems are used for reasons of efficiency since GPS is much more effective and precise in obtaining locations, but requires an aerial that is pointed at the sky. This can be problematic in cities where there are a large number of obstacles that cast a shadow over the generator. In these cases the transmitter device changes signal and begins operating in the same way as any mobile that transmits messages - such as traditional text messages - to a main computer which indicates the street location of the user if they are in a city and reports their exact coordinates if they are in a rural environment. In this way the patient is always supervised because it only requires coverage.
Persons affected by dementia suffer a progressive deterioration in their thought processes and behavioural changes that make it difficult for them to continue with their daily routine. Their behaviour also changes. The most common symptoms are memory loss, orientation problems and difficulty in taking precautions
