GPS devices can help caregivers of dementia patients

A study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M University School of Public Health examined how caregivers use and benefit from GPS-enabled wearable devices designed to prevent wandering and alert caregivers when it occurs.

The study, funded by the Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium, examined the Theora Care system—a wearable device for individuals with dementia that pairs with a smartphone application for caregivers. The device not only tracks location but also includes features such as geo-fencing alerts and two-way communication.

“This focus on increasing the situational awareness for both the caregiver and the person with dementia is a new innovation in this type of technology,” said Matthew Lee Smith, PhD, a professor of health behavior who helped lead the study, in a statement. “Our goal was to find out how usable caregivers found this technology, and their overall satisfaction with it.”

The study involved 41 caregiver-patient pairs across three sites in Texas. Caregivers, with an average age of 66 years, provided an average of 5.7 hours of care per day, primarily for a spouse, partner, or parent. The care recipients, averaging nearly 77 years old, wore a GPS-based device resembling a smartwatch, which allowed caregivers to monitor their location, set boundaries, and communicate if they wandered.

Results from the study showed that 70% of caregivers reported their care recipient wore the device daily. While location tracking, geo-fencing, and two-way calling features were used less frequently—ranging from 39% to 17.1% daily—caregivers found the system beneficial overall.

“On average, caregivers with higher baseline Zarit Burden Interview scores found the system to be more useful with their caregiving and were more satisfied with the system,” Smith said. He noted that this may be due to the reduction in stressors associated with the constant need for supervision and concerns about wandering.

With approximately 6.9 million Americans aged 65 and older living with

, the demand for innovative caregiving solutions continues to grow. The study’s findings suggest that multi-component technological solutions like Theora Care can be adopted successfully and provide relief for caregivers.

“While more studies are needed, these findings are encouraging,” Smith said. “They indicate that multi-component technological solutions can be adopted and could benefit both caregivers and persons living with dementia.”