PHILIPSBURG:--- A new long-range wireless detection system, with applications in health care, personal safety, asset and goods tracking, can pinpoint items and people with near 100 percent accuracy over a much wider range than current systems thanks to a new system developed by Eagle Eye Tracking.
We've all seen news alerts for missing senior citizens. Sometimes those have a happy outcome, and other times they don't. Parents of children with special needs also live with the worry that their child might wander off and get lost.
There are several devices available on the global market to help folks find their missing loved ones, but they aren't cheap or effortless to use. And if you have a big enough issue with pets running off, these devices could also be used on your dog's collar.
Locally, Eagle Eye Tracking, under the umbrella of Alpha Healthcare Group of Companies, has taken the lead in harnessing the power of technology to offer a personal tracking device that eliminates all of the aforementioned problems. The company, located in the Landmark Commercial Centre opposite the St. Maarten Medical Centre, provides affordable GPS tracking devices that can be attached to a key ring or worn around the neck. This newspaper understands that the devices are already in the hands of numerous seniors on St. Maarten and several social organizations are also well acquainted with its capabilities.
The company explains that the device works best as a companion to dementia patients while having a built in phone system that allows two way communication between user and caregiver, parent and child etc. It supports the sick, elderly and companies with a fleet of vehicles through real time monitoring.
"We've all seen commercials such as MedAlert that feature a senior citizen who has fallen and needs help. Think of these gadgets like that help button, but they work from almost anywhere. Eagle Eye Tracking also enables the user to draw boundaries on a map. The notification can include a map of the unit's location and turn-by-turn directions, "Debbie Alpha, managing director of Alpha Healthcare Services said.
Alpha and her business partner have been researching for years, a cost- effective but efficient solution in preventative healthcare. They decided to take action in 2011 when a 94 year old woman in Cole Bay wandered away from her family property and was found near Welfare Road. The story didn't end tragically because the woman was well-known as a former school teacher in the area, so she was returned to home, scared of the strangers who held her hand.
"Wandering poses a significant danger for those encompassing the at-risk population; experts have recently said that as much as 60 percent of those with Alzheimer's have been affected," Alpha related.
The United Nations has already designated Dementia a public health priority and it must be addressed in more ways than one, Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI)/ Pan-American Health Organization Regional Representative drs. Raymond Jessurun noted.
"The tendency to wander is prevalent among people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia-related disorders, as well as autism and Down Syndrome. It is estimated that 60 percent of people with Alzheimer's disease will wander and become lost - statistically, many will wander repeatedly. They are often not even aware that they wandered and are even lost.
There is an increased vulnerability if an elderly Alzheimer's patient is outdoors for more than 24 hours and the chance of survival drops to 50 percent due to the risk of exposure or hypothermia if they are not found within 12 hours. A lost person with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia-related disease or injury represents a critical medical emergency.
Please remember that the wanderer's inability or unwillingness to communicate can be frustrating for both caregivers and searchers alike. The person might not call out for help or respond when their name is called. Traditional search methods rely heavily on the ability of the lost person to respond to searchers when they call. When this ability doesn't exist or the person chooses not to respond, search efforts are time consuming and have
the potential to take a tragic turn," Jessurun explained.
Profiling
After submitting a personalized profile, each person in the Eagle Eye Tracking program is assigned a unique number. The personalized profile is completed by the caregiver and is designed to provide certain specific information that will be useful to a search and rescue team, emergency medical services and a monitoring station. Besides personal data and a physical description, the profile gives insight into personality, habits and life experiences.
"Another reality is that being a family caregiver is a difficult task. A caregiver's responsibility is enormous and can be draining; the situation can be intensified when the person being cared for begins to wander. So what we are seeing is that many adult children are getting the tracking device for their elderly parents, even if they live alone, because they are able to communicate with them and have peace of mind," Alpha added.
Eagle Eye Tracking is also partnering exclusively with Forever Living International and Medical Air Services Association (MASA). The latter will offer users of the program and their family, insurance coverage to get free air ambulance transportation in over 30 countries of the world.
Forever Living Aloe Vera products will also be available at discounted rates to Eagle Eye Tracking users.
For further information Eagle Eye Tracking can be contacted via email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on telephone number 721-554-7831.