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KEARNEY - More freedom and independence are available to people with Alzheimer's disease with the help of Comfort Zone technology.

"I think they named it very appropriately. Comfort Zone. It's peace of mind - just the comfort," said Sharon Rees, resident care coordinator at Good Samaritan Society-Prairie View Gardens.

The Web-based technology that became available last week use devices that can help locate a person with the disease in 2 to 30 minutes, according to a press release from the Alzheimer's Association.

The technology allows people with Alzheimer's to be more active and gives caregivers peace of mind.

Rees, who runs an Alzheimer's support group, said participants often say they are afraid of where their loved one will go when they leave the home.

"It will fit that need for those who go to work in a panic thinking their spouse is going to leave," she said.

Rees said the technology will help those with early-stage Alzheimer's who are more active.

"You can even set the Comfort Zone right outside the house. … It sounds like a fantastic thing for those in that situation."

Safety zones for the system are established through a secure Web site. If a person travels beyond the preset zones, caregivers would receive a text or e-mail alert. Comfort Zone uses GPS and cellular technologies with online mapping to determine the location of the person with Alzheimer's.

The system also offers caregivers assistance through around-the-clock monitoring center services and access to emergency health records from the MedicAlert Foundation, according to the press release.

Caregivers can use a "find me" session that can determine the location of a person with Alzheimer's within two minutes or a "follow me" session that provides updates every two minutes for an hour.

Rees said the families of people with Alzheimer's have to be involved with the technology.

"How computer savvy is a 80-year-old woman going to be with a 75-year-old husband with Alzheimer's?" she asked. "For the 50-year-olds, it'd be great because they're completely computer savvy."

Rees is worried about whether people with Alzheimer's will continue wearing the device used to determine the location.

"If you let someone alone with the pager, they could take it out (of their pocket) and set it on the dining room table," she said.

Rees said users of the Comfort Zone system would get more use out of the technology if the person with Alzheimer's were monitored through a device on the ankle.

However, she said, people with Alzheimer's want to be safe, and they probably care enough about their spouse to give them peace of mind.

According to the press release, Comfort Zone devices and plans can be adjusted as the disease progress and monitoring needs change.

Rees said if a person with Alzheimer's were constantly breaking the barriers of the technology, not eating or bathing, a supervised environment would be better.

The price of the Comfort Zone system varies, but it is comparable to a cell phone bill.

For more information, visit the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org/comfortzone or call 877-ALZ-4850.

e-mail to:

sarah.mulder@kearneyhub.com

Senior College session offers info on Alzheimer's research

KEARNEY - The Senior College of Central Nebraska will sponsor a free viewing of Parts 1 and 2 of HBO's "The Alzheimer's Project Momentum in Science" from 1:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Ponderosa Room of the Nebraskan Student Union at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

This two-part series takes viewers inside the laboratories and clinics of 25 leading scientists and physicians, revealing cutting-edge research advances in the search for a cure for Alzheimer's disease.

Each one-hour segment will be followed by a question-and-answer session with panel members including Travis Groft, director of neuropsychology at Madonna Rehabilitations Hospital; Brian Sanely, a pharmacist at Apple Market Pharmacy; and Ron Dobesh, a doctor at Platte Valley Medical Group.

Parking is available in Lot 3, located east of the student union, or in Lot 4, located north of the student union.