The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) in collaboration with Breadcrumb has announced the availability of an advanced locator device and monitoring system designed to locate patient’s suffering from dementia.
The Breadcrumb BC300 GPS locating device is one the first Alzheimer specific product complete with rechargeable batteries, USB cable, attachment bands, charging station and an adapter. The GPS devices will be available through multimedia retailers at the AFA e-store and the Breadcrumb website.
The BC300 GPS locating device is a light-weight, compact and affordable tracking solution that can be strapped on the ankle of the patient. The device uses GPS and cellular technology that continuously maps the exact location of the patient and provides a trail of the route taken by the person. Caregivers can easily access real-time details on the patient’s whereabouts using a smartphone or using a computer connected to the Internet.
The BC300 system sets up a geofence that recognizes the residence and locations such as an adult day care center as a safe zone. Once the patient leaves the virtual fence, alerts are sent to the caregiver. Breadcrumb developed a protocol in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, using which the customer care executives access information of the patient and alerts five caregivers through SMS, email or phone call. In case of an emergency, the local authorities are also notified.
The President and Chief Executive Officer of AFA, Eric J Hall stated that the BC300 is a proactive solution designed for patients affected by Alzheimer’s diseases and is aimed at protecting them and improving their quality of care. Breadcrumb and AFA have collaborated for developing such a solution for Alzheimer's disease for over two years.