#56: Teen Alzheimer’s Inventor
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An innovative 15-year-old has invented a device to help millions of Alzheimer’s patients.
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Right now, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. And every 67 seconds, one more American develops the disease.
Alzheimer’s patients often wander and get lost — even in familiar areas, like their home — causing injury and creating havoc for families and caregivers. But this ingenious teen has devised a possible solution.
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Kenneth Shinozuka created a sensor that attaches to a patient’s sock or foot and detects when the patient steps on the floor. The sensor immediately sends a wireless signal to a caregiver’s smartphone to alert them the patient is out of bed and on the move.
The 15-year-old scientist was inspired by his own family’s experience with Alzheimer’s. “I don’t think I will ever forget my shock at seeing Grandfather in his pajamas, accompanied by a policeman who had found him wandering on a nearby freeway in the middle of the night.”
His aunt — his grandfather’s primary caregiver — was waking herself up every 30 minutes all night long to make sure he was still in bed. “Caring for my grandfather … has caused our family significant stress, particularly when he wanders out of bed at night and suffers accidents.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association, up to half of all patients who wander will suffer serious injury or death if they aren’t found within 24 hours.
After a 6-month trial on his grandfather, the super-thin sensor showed potential for widespread application. “The systems detected 100% of the 437 known cases of his wandering and issued alerts within 1 second of his stepping out of bed.”
His success earned him first place, $50,000, and a year of mentoring from Scientific American‘s Science in Action Award, part of the Google Science Fair.
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#55: What Teachers Really Make << 100 Acts of Male Goodness >> #57: The Dad Who Challenged Amazon
Do you have an Act of Male Goodness to share? Or know someone who should be profiled in this series? Send information or a short submission (200-400 words) to Kristi Dale at [email protected] with “100 Acts of Male Goodness” in the subject line.
Photos and video/Kenneth Shinozuka