An estimated 500,000 Canadians have Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. In the US, that number is above 5.4 million. To help the people suffering from this disease, and to help support their families, the Brookline Homesafe Program was launched. The initiative, created by local police in Brookline, Massachusetts, aims to make it easier to find residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia that become separated from their families.
For $30 a month, residents will obtain a GPS bracelet that can be tracked remotely. Families give these bracelets to elderly relatives who could potentially wander off and lose their way home. If the wearer of the bracelet goes missing, police can track the bracelet and isolate the missing person’s location.
The city of Boston already uses the bracelets and the city of Brookline estimates a few hundred of its residents will take part in the program. For those that require the bracelet but cannot afford it, a $20,000 funding grant will help them receive one for free.
One in 11 Canadians over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s or related dementia. Hopefully this GPS bracelet program finds its way up here too.
(Via Mashable)
