| University of Rochester to Research How Technology Can Improve the Lives of Dementia Patients Using Technology From HomeFree and General Electric |
“Where we can keep people in independent living, we can save a tremendous amount of money for the health care system.”
HomeFree Inc., a global provider of wireless monitoring solutions for the senior housing and homecare markets today announces that its technology has been selected for use in a research project at the University of Rochester's Center for Future Health.
The program is sponsored by the Everyday Technologies for Alzheimer Care (ETAC) Consortium, which was founded last year by Intel and the Alzheimer's Association. ETAC sponsors research programs which focus on exploring how technology can be used to improve the daily living of Dementia patients, ease caretaker anxiety and reduce the costs associated with institutional care.
The purpose of the new study is to explore how wireless sensor monitoring technologies can report on a patient's daily home life. The first stage of the study involves testing the technology provided by both HomeFree Systems and General Electric Research in the smart medical home located at the university. Once calibrated, the wireless technology will be installed inside the homes of patients who volunteer to take part in the study, where further testing will take place over a period of three years.
Adrian Leibovici, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry who will direct the study, says: "... the main reason families place a demented patient in a nursing home, is not the loss of cognitive skills. It's the symptoms of dementia...Developing new ways to help such patients is crucial for them as well as their caregivers."
The ETAC programme recognizes that as the population ages, the elderly community will constitute an increasingly appropriate market for monitoring technologies. "Today, 70 percent of the 4.5 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease live at home where family and friends provide most of their care," says William Thies, Ph.D., vice president for medical and scientific affairs at the Alzheimer's Association. Thies adds: "Where we can keep people in independent living, we can save a tremendous amount of money for the health care system."
HomeFree's President, Guy Lerner said, "We are proud to take part in this pioneering study. HomeFree offers a unique solution that is tailored to the needs of dementia patients, with the ability to identify and monitor the patient in his home environment. This project, we believe, could open the door for broad implementation of active monitoring solutions with aging populations."
About HomeFree Systems
HomeFree is a global provider of wireless monitoring solutions for the senior housing and homecare markets. HomeFree US headquarters are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Europe, the company's systems are distributed through Tyco Safety Products. HomeFree's current product line includes individual and group monitoring solutions for Dementia patients in long-term care facilities and at home. The company aims to work with medical experts to design effective solutions that give patients maximum freedom while minimizing costs. HomeFree Systems was established in 2000 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the London Stock Exchange listed Dmatek Ltd. (LSE:DTK).
The Alzheimer Association full press release, ETAC information and website: http://www.alz.org/Research/Funded/2004/04USA_Leibovici.asp, http://www.alz.org/Research/RGP/ETAC.asp.
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