Dementia is a devastating disease that affects over 5.5 million people in the U.S. and more than 60 percent of people with dementia are in danger of wandering. Wandering is a perilous side effect of dementia that can lead to injuries and, in some cases, fatal accidents. Since the number of people diagnosed with dementia is expected to double over the next 20 years, experts agree that a solution is needed to help combat wandering.
The Proximity Button is a device designed by 25-year-old Natalie Price, an entrepreneur in the United Kingdom, who was inspired after having watched her mother care for people with dementia for more than 15 years.
The Proximity Button is a simple, warning device that uses Bluetooth technology to warn the caregiver via an app when the Button wearer wanders too far. Products currently available to help against wandering are expensive – with prices starting in the hundreds of dollars. When on the market, the Proximity Button will cost approximately between $40-70, according to Price. Products in market now rely on GPS and raise privacy concerns, she says.
“I believe that everyone should be able to protect the people they care about the most,” Price, who is attempting to raise funds through a corowdfunding campaign to bring the device to market, said. “We approached the product and user experience of Proximity with the following principles in mind: Simplicity, discretion and affordability.”
Further information about the Proximity Button is available through Jorge Gaeta at jgaeta@cooneywatersunlimited.com or via phone at 212-886-2253.
(Note: MDT neither endorses nor recommends any efforts to raise development funds.)