Times of India
22 September 2010
Bangalore, India

On World Alzheimer’s Day, Two New Devices Were Introduced To Help Keep Track Of Movement Of The Elderly Suffering From This Illness
What better way to thank the elders? The Nightingales Centre for Ageing and Alzheimer’s (NCAA) and the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) decided to celebrate World Alzheimer’s Day on Tuesday by launching ‘Nightingales Trace’ – an ID-bracelet system for tracing missing elders with dementia, costing Rs 500, and ‘Nightingales Track’ – a mobile-tracking device for safety of elders – available at Rs 150 per month.

"The bracelet cannot be opened by the elders themselves, and one can easily trace them if they go beyond the safe zone that is set up in the bracelet. As for the tracker, the centre will get live details about senior citizens when they press a button on their phone. This is just the first step ahead to make sure our elders are safe and secure. Upgradations will be done with the passage of time and growing technology," said Dr Radha S Murthy, managing trustee at NCAA.

Governor H R Bhardwaj said: "It is a everybody’s social responsibility to look after the elders. Parents are gods. Therefore, we should take care of them when they need us the most." With an estimated 110 million people being affected with dementia by 2050, the NCAA is trying to delay its approach by at least two years through therapies and medications, and save the elders from the deadly disease such that the figure of the affected can be brought down to 25 million.

"There are workshops being conducted through which risk of alzheimer’s can be brought down. This is possible only by techniques like cognitive stimulation, brain stimulation and even proper diet which plays a major role. Ageing cannot be stopped, but the reasons for one to get dementia can be checked. Stress, cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes, to name a few, can be the causes of dementia. And, we are in the process of finding out whether yoga and meditation can cut down on its tendency to affect the elders," said Dr E Ratnavalli, consultant neurologist.