Optimized Location Tracking Assistance for Elderly with Cognitive Disorders

Abstract

-  Living assistance systems catering to the need of elderly people affected with Alzheimer and suffering with loss of cognitive functioning or dementia, is still a challenge. When such people go out and forget their return path to home, the caretakers should be able to track them, otherwise it may be causing harm to these senior citizens, as well as it could be an anxiety for society. This study addresses the above concerns and is focused on the design of an assistive device (which does not need an operation from the user’s end), that supports the aged or physically challenged with memory loss and acts as a relief to their caretakers. This wearable device is designed in such a way that the route travelled by the person with this wearable device/node, can be tracked from any place, with help of the integrated web API using Python Flask or using mobile phone through the  associated mobile app. Since the route travelled with map is displayed, any person, even without much technical knowledge can extend supporting hands. The device has coverage across the country as GSM network is used. A Virtual Private Server (VPS) in a cloud provider data centre with a secure network is used in the design. The VPS is used to relay messages from the nodes to core server, data movement is guaranteed and since, no data is stored on the cloud VPS, the issue of data security is also addressed