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Keep watch on dementia patients with watch
Contributing columnist Lenna Scott GRID: Senior column tease pic
Updated: September 14, 2012 12:26PM
LINCOLNSHIRE
Keeping track of a senior living at home with dementia can be a major concern for caregivers.
But a Buffalo Grove businessman is introducing a new product he believes provides peace of mind.
“The Vega personal locating wristwatch has built in GPS and cell phone capabilities,” said Steve Klopfer of Independence Lifestyles. According to Klopfer, the Vega watch is better than other devices for several reasons.
The Vega watch looks like a regular watch, but cannot be removed without a special key, so an individual with dementia cannot take it off and leave it. “If the wearer wanders away from a safe zone, an alarm can go off to whatever caregiver they designate,” Klopfer said.
Alerts can be sent via phone, text message or emails.
The Vega sends signals to a home base while the senior is home, but when the senior wanders beyond the range of the base, the device switches to GPS and GSM technologies, the same technologies that allow GPS devices and cell phones to operate.
“You are not concerned about range,” Klopfer said. “When you leave the home, it sets off a new set of technology that allows tracking anywhere. You can’t do that with a traditional panic system.”
The Vega watch also allows for tracking with Google Maps. A caregiver can go online and find out not only where the wearer is, but also the route they followed to get there.
Like a traditional panic button, the “wearer can press a panic button if they know they need help.”
Whether the panic is activated intentionally, or because the senior wandered out of a prescribed range, a caregiver who is not with the senior “can talk to the person who is wearing the watch,” because each watch has a direct phone number associated with it. If a caregiver is concerned, they can call the number and talk with the wearer. A speaker and microphone within the watch allows the senior and caregiver to have a conversation.
Klopfer said this product is also valuable for adults with developmental delays and individuals with autism. The watch costs almost $700 and has a monthly fee for the monitoring and alert service.
Independence Lifestyles can be reached online at www.independenceLifestyles.com or by calling (847) 372-9999.
“This product is going to make a big difference in a lot of people’s lives,” Klopfer said.~.
Lenna Scott is the marketing director at The Wealshire, a short-term rehab, skilled nursing and assisted living community in Lincolnshire. She lives in Buffalo Grove with her husband and two children. Contact her at lscott@wealshire.com.
