Dr. Kearns reached this conclusion after his research at the Sunrise Village Assisted Living Facility located in Tampa. At this facility, automated computerized reports on fractal dimension value of each resident were produced. Future day-to-day reports will enable administrators to more closely track the growing signs of wandering and explore the possible causes, for example, changes to a resident's medication, diet, or sleeping patterns. Furthermore, fractal dimension values of the residents can be reduced by making adjustments; this will improve their navigation and eventually prevent an imminent fall.
High turnover rates are common in most ALFs, some surpassing 50% every year. Therefore, the "corporate memory" regarding an elder's health status may be deleted after only a few months. Moreover, ALFs are usually understaffed and unable to extend the required continuous individualized attention and care to the residents.
We found the study by Dr. Kearns to be eye-opening. By monitoring our residents' walking pattern and any deviation, we, along with the visiting physician or ARNP, could intercede after investigating the cause. In many cases, this intervention prevented hospitalization of the resident or re-admission. And the residents involved in the study were excited to have a role.
Bunny Markarian, Former Administrator at Sunrise Village Assisted Living
When compared to GPS, RTLS is much more precise and updates 100 times each second. It accurately pinpoints one's location, be it outdoors or indoors, within six inches. Featuring a one-meter resolution, GPS is also restricted to the outdoors. RTLS, on the other hand, is most effective for open floorplans, usually found in ALFs, as there are normally fewer obstacles to negatively impact accuracy.
According to Dr. Kearns, the wristband technology will ultimately be employed in at-home care. He will present the study results at the International Society for Gerontechnology 11th World Conference on May 7, 2018, at 5 PM (EST) in St. Petersburg, Florida.