A safety support system for patient location

We have developed a new electronic location support system for wandering elderly patients who may be walking, be stationary, or moving at higher speed in vehicles. Our system functions in buildings, and uses a low power mobile phone terminal along with a caregiver's mobile phone. The system is carried by the patient whose location is detected from the location of the system antennae communicating with the person's mobile phone system (PHS). The caregiver sets the patient's movement area, with specialized computer software installed on the mobile phones. When the patient leaves this preset area, the system automatically informs the caregiver and sends the patient's location map by e-mail. The caregiver can monitor the current location and prior movement by the map displayed on their mobile phone. The system is not only applicable to wandering elderly patients, but could also be very useful for monitoring children and elderly people living alone.