July 2007
New system looks out for the safety of people with dementia
People with memory loss caused by dementia1 may be able to retain their independence at home for longer, thanks to a new technological innovation developed by an NHS consultant and a company specialising in global positioning satellite (GPS) equipment.
The new Wandering in Dementia system, launched on May 25, 2007, has been designed to help families caring for someone with dementia who has a tendency to wander away from home. It offers real-time tracking of the person who has wandered, via a specially developed website and a small GPS device.
The device can be carried on a belt clip or neck strap, in a pocket or handbag, whichever the person being cared for is most comfortable with. Frequently, a person with dementia takes the same coat or carries the same handbag when they wander. In addition to working as a location transmitter, the device can be used as a mobile phone.
Dr Rupert McShane, a Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry at Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, began researching wandering in dementia more than a decade ago.
Dr McShane said: “Often, dementia patients who wander may otherwise be relatively healthy and active. Families and carers feel able to cope with their memory loss and wish for the person to remain living at home for as long as possible.
“My aim has been to find a solution for this group of patients and their carers, which would give them the peace of mind that if the person does wander they can be tracked down quickly to ensure they are safe.”
Over the years Dr McShane has experimented with a range of tracking devices including TV and radio transmitters. GPS technology was in its infancy during the early days of Dr McShane’s research; until recently, GPS devices were power hungry, relatively cumbersome and ineffective in built-up areas.
Dr Mc Shane revisited GPS technology approximately two and a half years ago, after winning a prize for innovation from NHS Innovations South East2, the regional hub of the NHS National Innovation Centre.
In a partnership brokered by NHS Innovations South East, Dr McShane teamed up with GPS technology experts FollowUs Ltd3, of Milton Keynes, to assess the potential for an effective tracking system. Thanks to a new generation of micro-chips and long-life batteries, the potential was confirmed swiftly and the partnership moved on to development work.
FollowUs built a number of prototypes during two years of trials which tested not only that the system functioned correctly but also that any features built into it were beneficial to people with dementia. For instance, the trials uncovered the need not to include an on/off button as some patients switched off early prototypes while wandering or the device was inadvertently left switched off and therefore could not work once a patient had wandered with it. The mobile phone function was found to be best offered as an option rather than a standard feature as some people with dementia are not comfortable with mobile phones.
Initially, the trials were conducted in Oxfordshire, with the assistance of Dr McShane’s patients and their families. The team was keen to ensure that the system worked not only in the UK but also world-wide. Trials in different geographical locations around the UK were followed by trials with patients who were holidaying in France, Malta and Florida.
Dr Tahsin Choudhury, Innovation Manager, Innovations South East, played a key role in the development of the Wandering in Dementia product. He said: “Today’s GPS mapping technology makes it straightforward for the system to work abroad, so if a person with dementia is otherwise fit and active, they and their families can continue to enjoy foreign holidays, knowing that the system is there as a back-up.”
Dr Choudhury role included facilitating the development work; advising Dr. McShane regarding his Intellectual Property rights and negotiating financial terms with the commercial partner FollowUs Ltd.
Kevin Brown, Director of FollowUs Ltd, explained how the system works: “The GPS device is fitted with a mobile phone SIM card which enables it to communicate its location to the Wandering in Dementia website. The system offers real-time location mapping, accurate to within 50metres. It can be accessed from a PC, laptop, PDA or any other internet enabled device.
“When a family member or carer becomes aware that someone has wandered, they simply log in to their own personal, password-protected section of the Wandering in Dementia website, where they will find a map tracking the location of the person who has wandered. They can then either set out themselves to find the person or, if they have the assistance of a second person, one can monitor the map and direct the other person.
“If the customer selected a mobile phone version of the device, it would be possible to call the person who is wandering, to check that they are OK.”
The cost of the Wandering in Dementia system involves a one-off fee of £199 for the device and software followed by a choice of two options:
• £25 a month – which includes provision of a SIM card
• Pay as you go - customer provides their own SIM card and pays up-front for a certain number of tracking episodes (e.g. 50 tracking episodes costs £20).
Dr McShane added: “Our trials confirmed that Wandering in Dementia offers peace of mind for families of someone whose dementia causes them to wander at any time of the day. It gives people with memory loss an opportunity to retain their independence and dignity by enabling them to stay at home for as long as possible.
“However, we recognise it is not a solution for everyone with dementia. For example, it is not applicable to those whose actions in the home mean that they cannot be left safely, such as leaving the gas on, nor those who would be disturbed by the device’s presence on their person.”
Kevin Brown of FollowUs said: “We are delighted to have been involved in the development of Wandering in Dementia, the only bespoke GPS system for people with dementia. There are exciting development opportunities ahead and we shall continue to work with Dr McShane and NHS Innovations South East on enhancing the system to offer a more complete service.”
For further details log on to http://www.wanderingindementia.com
Ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
About dementia
1 According to the Alzheimer's Society, approximately 750,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, of whom 22% live alone, 36% live with carers and 42% live in nursing homes. Currently, the cost of care for patients with dementia is £6 billion per annum, which is provided by central government and disseminated by the Department of Health via local government and social services. Wandering increases seven-fold the incidence of admittance to an institution. A total of 58,300 patients were institutionalised in 2003/04. At an approximate cost to social services of £600 per person per week, a reduction in institutionalisation of just 1% would save £8.1 million per year.
(http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Facts_about_dementia/Statistics/index.htm).
2 NHS Innovations South East
Co-funded by the Department of Health, Office of Science and Innovation and the Regional Development Agencies, NHS Innovations South East (NISE) is one of nine similar hubs which make up a national network and was set up to provide a service to improve healthcare by assisting NHS inventors to commercialise their ideas. Innovation managers carry out a thorough assessment of all NHS inventions in order to determine the potential for gaining intellectual property rights, the size, nature and competitiveness of the market, the benefit to patients and Trusts and the potential cost savings for the NHS. This analysis is a mixture of desk based research and consultation with networks of industry and clinical contacts.
For more information, visit www.nhsinnovations-southeast.com
3 About FollowUs Ltd
Milton Keynes based FollowUs Ltd is a leading supplier of mobile phone tracking and software solutions, providing services to more than 35,000 business and home users. Its staff have many years experience in telecoms, tracking and software development and all place a priority on the delivery of excellence to their customers.
FollowUs is completely independent and provides tracking consultancy services to help businesses make the right technology decisions.
For more information, visit http://www.followgb.co.uk
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Either
Sally Robinson of NHS Innovations South East on 01235 838 539
Mark Shone of M&M Communications on 01829 752751.
The new Wandering in Dementia system, launched on May 25, 2007, has been designed to help families caring for someone with dementia who has a tendency to wander away from home. It offers real-time tracking of the person who has wandered, via a specially developed website and a small GPS device.
The device can be carried on a belt clip or neck strap, in a pocket or handbag, whichever the person being cared for is most comfortable with. Frequently, a person with dementia takes the same coat or carries the same handbag when they wander. In addition to working as a location transmitter, the device can be used as a mobile phone.
Dr Rupert McShane, a Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry at Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, began researching wandering in dementia more than a decade ago.
Dr McShane said: “Often, dementia patients who wander may otherwise be relatively healthy and active. Families and carers feel able to cope with their memory loss and wish for the person to remain living at home for as long as possible.
“My aim has been to find a solution for this group of patients and their carers, which would give them the peace of mind that if the person does wander they can be tracked down quickly to ensure they are safe.”
Over the years Dr McShane has experimented with a range of tracking devices including TV and radio transmitters. GPS technology was in its infancy during the early days of Dr McShane’s research; until recently, GPS devices were power hungry, relatively cumbersome and ineffective in built-up areas.
Dr Mc Shane revisited GPS technology approximately two and a half years ago, after winning a prize for innovation from NHS Innovations South East2, the regional hub of the NHS National Innovation Centre.
In a partnership brokered by NHS Innovations South East, Dr McShane teamed up with GPS technology experts FollowUs Ltd3, of Milton Keynes, to assess the potential for an effective tracking system. Thanks to a new generation of micro-chips and long-life batteries, the potential was confirmed swiftly and the partnership moved on to development work.
FollowUs built a number of prototypes during two years of trials which tested not only that the system functioned correctly but also that any features built into it were beneficial to people with dementia. For instance, the trials uncovered the need not to include an on/off button as some patients switched off early prototypes while wandering or the device was inadvertently left switched off and therefore could not work once a patient had wandered with it. The mobile phone function was found to be best offered as an option rather than a standard feature as some people with dementia are not comfortable with mobile phones.
Initially, the trials were conducted in Oxfordshire, with the assistance of Dr McShane’s patients and their families. The team was keen to ensure that the system worked not only in the UK but also world-wide. Trials in different geographical locations around the UK were followed by trials with patients who were holidaying in France, Malta and Florida.
Dr Tahsin Choudhury, Innovation Manager, Innovations South East, played a key role in the development of the Wandering in Dementia product. He said: “Today’s GPS mapping technology makes it straightforward for the system to work abroad, so if a person with dementia is otherwise fit and active, they and their families can continue to enjoy foreign holidays, knowing that the system is there as a back-up.”
Dr Choudhury role included facilitating the development work; advising Dr. McShane regarding his Intellectual Property rights and negotiating financial terms with the commercial partner FollowUs Ltd.
Kevin Brown, Director of FollowUs Ltd, explained how the system works: “The GPS device is fitted with a mobile phone SIM card which enables it to communicate its location to the Wandering in Dementia website. The system offers real-time location mapping, accurate to within 50metres. It can be accessed from a PC, laptop, PDA or any other internet enabled device.
“When a family member or carer becomes aware that someone has wandered, they simply log in to their own personal, password-protected section of the Wandering in Dementia website, where they will find a map tracking the location of the person who has wandered. They can then either set out themselves to find the person or, if they have the assistance of a second person, one can monitor the map and direct the other person.
“If the customer selected a mobile phone version of the device, it would be possible to call the person who is wandering, to check that they are OK.”
The cost of the Wandering in Dementia system involves a one-off fee of £199 for the device and software followed by a choice of two options:
• £25 a month – which includes provision of a SIM card
• Pay as you go - customer provides their own SIM card and pays up-front for a certain number of tracking episodes (e.g. 50 tracking episodes costs £20).
Dr McShane added: “Our trials confirmed that Wandering in Dementia offers peace of mind for families of someone whose dementia causes them to wander at any time of the day. It gives people with memory loss an opportunity to retain their independence and dignity by enabling them to stay at home for as long as possible.
“However, we recognise it is not a solution for everyone with dementia. For example, it is not applicable to those whose actions in the home mean that they cannot be left safely, such as leaving the gas on, nor those who would be disturbed by the device’s presence on their person.”
Kevin Brown of FollowUs said: “We are delighted to have been involved in the development of Wandering in Dementia, the only bespoke GPS system for people with dementia. There are exciting development opportunities ahead and we shall continue to work with Dr McShane and NHS Innovations South East on enhancing the system to offer a more complete service.”
For further details log on to http://www.wanderingindementia.com
Ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
About dementia
1 According to the Alzheimer's Society, approximately 750,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, of whom 22% live alone, 36% live with carers and 42% live in nursing homes. Currently, the cost of care for patients with dementia is £6 billion per annum, which is provided by central government and disseminated by the Department of Health via local government and social services. Wandering increases seven-fold the incidence of admittance to an institution. A total of 58,300 patients were institutionalised in 2003/04. At an approximate cost to social services of £600 per person per week, a reduction in institutionalisation of just 1% would save £8.1 million per year.
(http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Facts_about_dementia/Statistics/index.htm).
2 NHS Innovations South East
Co-funded by the Department of Health, Office of Science and Innovation and the Regional Development Agencies, NHS Innovations South East (NISE) is one of nine similar hubs which make up a national network and was set up to provide a service to improve healthcare by assisting NHS inventors to commercialise their ideas. Innovation managers carry out a thorough assessment of all NHS inventions in order to determine the potential for gaining intellectual property rights, the size, nature and competitiveness of the market, the benefit to patients and Trusts and the potential cost savings for the NHS. This analysis is a mixture of desk based research and consultation with networks of industry and clinical contacts.
For more information, visit www.nhsinnovations-southeast.com
3 About FollowUs Ltd
Milton Keynes based FollowUs Ltd is a leading supplier of mobile phone tracking and software solutions, providing services to more than 35,000 business and home users. Its staff have many years experience in telecoms, tracking and software development and all place a priority on the delivery of excellence to their customers.
FollowUs is completely independent and provides tracking consultancy services to help businesses make the right technology decisions.
For more information, visit http://www.followgb.co.uk
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Either
Sally Robinson of NHS Innovations South East on 01235 838 539
Mark Shone of M&M Communications on 01829 752751.