The Loss of Orientation is a potentially life-threatening and a common behavior seen among older people, specifically people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Between 60% to 70% of people with Alzheimer’s will wander and possibly get lost at some point during the course of their disease. Among them, a staggering 50% will get hurt or die if they are not found within 24 hours. The Frailsafe Outdoor Localization module uses the smartphone’s GPS system and other sensors to track the user at all times. The module transmits the relevant information through the Outdoor Localization API to the Frailsafe Cloud.
Among the real-time data management and data mining methods included in the Online/Offline Analysis module, is the Loss of Orientation (LoO) application. The application processes the localization logs from each user in order to identify irregular and/or unwanted walking patterns.
The application contains the following key features:
- Geo-fencing: It is often desired by caretakers to ensure that a pre-frail/frail person is not walking outside a set of routine places and paths. Geo-fencing defines a virtual boundary (see figure) which, once crossed, signals an alert of a potential wandering episode.
- Detection of irregular walking patterns: The LoO application detects unwanted travel patterns that are often linked to Loss of Orientation episodes (pacing back and forth, circuitous movements, random walking patterns etc.).
The application acts as an early warning system for wandering events, providing the Frailsafe Online Analysis module with a metric indicating the regularity of the person’s current walking pattern and generates an alarm when the person enters, leaves or moves within a specific geographic area (geo-fencing), allowing the detection of being lost and generating appropriate intervention from the caretaker.