IranMap

Shoes embedded with location tracking technology can help find people who unpredictably wander off. Joann Johnston, whose husband, Bill Johnston, has Alzheimer’s disease, said the shoes give her peace of mind. “When I lost him, you, you kind of panic,” she said.
“I had been leaving him and going to the bank and say, ‘OK, go in, drink your tea and wait for me, and I will come back.’ And he would do that,” Joann Johnston explained. “(But one time) I spent a little longer in the grocery store and got back maybe 45 minutes later, and I looked in McDonald’s and he wasn’t there. I opened the bathroom door and hollered ‘Bill.’ No answer.”

Bill Johnston, who is 83 years old, had wandered away toward a main highway. Joan Johnston recalled, “I looked over — was looking all around the parking lots and the shopping center, across the street from McDonald’s I saw him. … He couldn’t remember when I would be back. When I wasn’t there the he said — ‘Well where is she? I’ll just walk home.”‘ She picked him up and brought him home.

Bill Johnston is one of an estimated 5.3 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and wandering is one of the most common symptoms. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, many will wander at least once during the progression of the disease, and many, three or more times which, Quijano noted, can make shoes loaded with GPS technology a literal life-saver, and ease the burden often placed on primary care-takers.

Andrew Carle, executive in residence of senior housing at George Mason University, saw a need to curb wandering and reached out to a California company that makes shoes with GPS systems. They partnered on a model for the elderly. “(Primary caretakers are) afraid to even turn their back on their loved ones for two or three minutes or even to go to the bathroom for a few minutes, because they’re afraid when they come out, they may be gone,” Carle said. “And this technology can really help them and gives them a chance of locating them.”

Seeking ways to control Bill Johnston’s wandering, Joan Johnston and son Alan Johnston were led to George Mason University and Carle, who offered them a pair of shoes to test. “We discussed it and we decided to try these shoes out on him,” Alan Johnston said. “And (we) thought this would be a good match and kind of went from there.” A computer programmer, Alan Johnston takes care of the technological side of things for his parents.

“The shoes give you more control,” Alan Johnston said. “My mom can call me immediately and I can give her immediate feedback on his location.” Carle said, “We’re trying to maximize the odds that they’re going to have this technology on them and the best location is to put it in shoes.”

Joan and Bill Johnston hope it will make their lives easier. The philosophy Joan lives by? “You take it day-by-day and moment-by-moment and try not to plan too far ahead,” she said. “I don’t plan more than a day ahead of time. And you take it, today.”
Carle also worked closely with a company in New Jersey Aetrex, on the shoe.

December 2011 edition of GPS Map Newsletter is out now with wishes for Christmas and New Year.

December issue has links to GPS maps for Garmin, Navitel and CityGuide, Maps to all countries in the Middle East and ….More information

Whether you are going hiking or driving to a new and unfamiliar territory, it is always a good idea to possess a detailed map with you. Possessing a detailed and accurate map provides you with the locations of various landmarks and locations along with terrain structure of the land. These maps with a wide network of routes is a sure-shot life saver when you need it the most.

Kish Island GPS Map

There are different types of maps; the traditional paper map, an internet generated map and a GPS map. Amongst all these, a GPS map is perhaps the most versatile and updated one. A GPS device is as good as the mapping information it holds. Thus GPS navigators come with basemaps and several points of interests that indicate the locations of gas stations or hotels. A GPS receiver comes preloaded with the detailed and most updated map information of a specific region or country. In case you need any additional data, you can always download it to your device. A few advantages a GPS map has over the others is stated below :

Advantage I: Most Up-to-Date

Unlike the traditional paper maps or an internet generated one, the GPS map is the most up-to-date one. This is because although, the device comes with preloaded maps of certain region, you can definitely download the latest version of the maps directly into your unit from the mapping website. Also the sat nav manufacturers ensure to have the most recent versions of maps on their site, wherein you get the detailed mapping data absolutely free of cost.

Advantage II: It provides the facility to personalise the map
Paper map and internet generated maps can also be customized to suit your needs. However you will need a marker to mark the locations of gas stations or trace your best hiking route. Once you use a marker or highlighter on the map, it is permanent and next time you want to mark something, you either need a new map or a different colour marker. Eventually you might have either spent a great deal on buying a new map everytime you visit a new place or there would be so many markings on your map that it would appear shabby and unreadable.

This is where GPS maps are useful. All you need to do is create a separate folder and save the data in the specific folder after every trip. You can later even make alterations or changes to it, as per your convenience and choice. The maps are in no way rendered unreadable. Saves you loads or time and money as well.

Advantage III: Easy to Trace Back
With a GPS map you can easily trace back your steps. This is because the device has the capability to track your progress, thus by just selecting the right buttons, you can easily get a complete history of the route taken, makes it simple to re-trace your steps. Although, this can also be done by using the paper maps, it is a little tedious and cumbersome procedure.

The above stated points are some of the reasons why users might prefer a GPS map from a traditional paper map. If you too need to reap the benefits of GPS maps, then just go and grab a satellite navigational unit that has the latest and updated GPS maps and plan your travel to unknown and unfamiliar cities.