Senior Seeker
Project Proposal
ISEN 689 – Systems Thinking
March 20, 2008
Team Members:
Tanisha G. Cotton
Christine Yager
Introduction
An estimated 26.2% of the U.S. population ages 18 and older have a documented
mental health disorder. 45% of that group suffers from 2 or more mental disorders.1
In 2005, 13% of the U.S. population was composed of senior citizens (ages 65 and
older). This percentage is expected to increase at a faster rate than total population in
the next 40+ years.2 Long-term care costs in 2006 ranged from $35,600 to $75,000 per
year for assisted living and nursing homes.3
In 2004, 73.3% of all nursing home residents had some kind of mental disorder
documented.4 Mental disorders can be divided into three different subgroups: organic
brain disorders, mood/anxiety disorders, and other mental disorders. Organic brain
disorders include “dementias, deliriums, organic brain damage caused by alcohol or
drugs, Alzheimer's disease, or senility.”4 Mood/anxiety disorders are composed of
“depression, manic depression, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, and other
mood or anxiety disorders.”4 “Schizophrenia, substance abuse or dependence,
personality disorders, adjustment disorders, mental retardation and other mental
disorders” are classified under the other mental disorder group.4
Needs Analysis
With the rising senior citizen age group in the U.S. population, large number of cases of
mental health disorders, and rising long-term care costs, clearly this area of healthcare
is in need of attention. Nursing homes are becoming more populated, while the quality
of care is diminishing.5 Relatives decide to place elderly family members in a nursing
home for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, they make this decision because they do not
have the time, experience, or resources necessary to care for the family member on
their own. The 1999 Supreme Court case Olmstead vs. L.C and E.W. clearly shows that
many patients in a nursing home do not belong there.6 But because these elderly
individuals suffer from one or more mental and/or physical disabilities, family members
sometimes resort to nursing home or assisted living care because they do not know
what else to do. Making one visit to an average nursing home facility would lead one to
see that if someone is not required to be there for full-time nursing care, they would
choose to live elsewhere for the freedom and comfort.
Mental disorders can be progressive and can begin decades prior to death. If an elderly
individual suffers from a mental disorder, but is not in need of full-time nursing care,
family members have another option: The Senior Seeker.
Proposed System and Technology
The Senior Seeker is an advanced GPS locating device that aids family members and
medical professionals oversee the safety of elderly people who suffer from mental
disorders, while still allowing the patient to experience a level of independence that they
would otherwise lose in a nursing home or assisted living facility. The device is placed
on the patient by a medical professional in the form of a bracelet. This bracelet can only
be removed by Senior Seeker equipment at a medical professional’s office, similar to
how a clothing security device can only be removed by a special apparatus in a retail
store. When activated, the Senior Seeker can be programmed by a medical
professional and/or family member, who has a unique password to access the
administrative settings, to include a list of approved locations and travel routes. New
locations and routes may be added or deleted at any time by logging into the
administrative setting on the internet. If for example, the patient has a doctor’s
appointment on a Tuesday at 9:00, the medical office (or family member) can
automatically program this event into the Senior Seeker as an approved location. When
an elderly patient deviates from an approved location or route, the device notifies the
user and then the appropriate family member is contacted immediately by their method
of choice (email, cellular phone, etc.) with the patient’s location information. The family
member receiving the distress notice has the option of contacting the police,
ambulance, and/or medical professional to assist in locating the patient.
There are additional safety features that can be turned on and off on the Senior Seeker
device. For instance, the “Traffic Warning” feature can be activated to alert the elderly
patient that they are about to cross traffic by sounding a warning alarm. If the patient
was about to step dangerously into traffic, the alarm is aimed to alert the individual to
the danger. A “panic button” feature is also available in case the patient falls and is
unable to reach a phone or other help. This feature would automatically contact the
medical professional and family member to come to their aid. For patients who suffer
memory loss, the Senior Seeker can also be programmed with important identification
and emergency contact information, in case they need to provide this information, but
cannot remember it themselves. To assist with medication administration, the Senior
Seeker can also be programmed to remind the patient to take certain medications at
different times throughout the day. And finally, the Senior Seeker is tamper-proof and
water-proof to ensure a quality product lifetime.
Technology Specifications
The ability of the device to locate the user’s position is accomplished through Global
Positioning System (GPS) technology. A similar predecessor system is the ankle
tracking devices placed on house arrest persons. In order for the device to be tamperproof and water-proof, the wristband and display device must be made of a durable
water-resistant material, such as hardened plastics and rubbers. Because the user may
suffer from forgetfulness and senility, it is important that the device cannot be removed
by the user. A special removal device is the only contraption that can safely remove the
product. This technology is similar to a department store’s device used to remove ink
tags from clothing. The product is powered with a battery that has the ability to be
recharged by plugging it into a charger. The estimated life cycle of this product based
on the technological and power specifications is 3-5 years.
As far as the alert and contact subsystems, it is important that the service provider be
able to contact the user to check on them and that the user can contact the service
provider in case of an emergency. Similar to the predecessor systems “OnStar” and
“Lifeline”, the user has the option of contacting the service provider using a speaker and
receiver, by pushing a “panic” feature. It is ideal to have identification information
imprinted on the wristband itself for easy access, as well as in a “Smart Chip” like
format. This predecessor system allows a card user to store pertinent information on a
processor chip and portably carry it with them on a card.7
The Senior Seeker is an innovative way to allow the elderly to maintain a level of
freedom they desire for a high quality of life. It also allows family members to rest
assured that their loved ones are being safely monitored and cared for.
Project Plan
Feb 2008
ID
Task Name
Start
Finish
Mar 2008
Apr 2008
Duration
2/10
1
Choose Complex System
2/11/2008
2/19/2008
7d
2
Prepare Proposal
2/19/2008
2/21/2008
3d
3
Formulate Problem Situation
2/19/2008
2/26/2008
6d
4
Formulate Customer Requirments
2/25/2008
2/28/2008
4d
5
Formulate derived Requirements
3/17/2008
3/26/2008
8d
6
System Validation
3/26/2008
4/4/2008
8d
7
Concept Exploration
4/7/2008
4/11/2008
5d
8
Use Case Model
4/14/2008
4/18/2008
5d
9
Design Model
4/18/2008
4/25/2008
6d
10
Project Management
4/18/2008
4/25/2008
6d
11
Midterm presentation
3/31/2008
4/4/2008
5d
12
Final Paper & Presentation
4/21/2008
4/30/2008
8d
2/17
2/24
3/2
3/9
3/16
3/23
3/30
4/6
4/13
4/20
Note: No work was scheduled for the week of the test 1(3/9) and the week of Spring
Break (3/16)
References
1
The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from
National Institute of Mental Health
Website: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mentaldisorders-in-america.shtml#Intro
2
Health, United States, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus07.pdf#highlights
3
Houser, Ari N. (2007). Long-Term Care Research Report. Retrieved February 19,
2008 from AARP
Website: http://www.aarp.org/research/longtermcare/costs/fs27r_ltc.html#FOURTH
4
Nursing Home Residents: Mental Health U.S. 1985-2004. Retrieved February 19,
2008 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Website and Instructions: Go to: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/agingact.htm and select
“Mental Health” and then open the “Nursing Home Residents” table.
5
Moody, Errold F. Nursing Home Statistics. Retrieved February 19, 2008 from
American Health Care Association
Website: http://www.efmoody.com/longterm/nursingstatistics.html
6
Supreme Court Upholds ADA 'Integration Mandate' in Olmstead decision. Retrieved
February 19, 2008 from The Center for an Accessible Society
Website: http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/ada/olmsteadoverview.htm
7
Sagem Orga. (November 15, 2005) The Key to Success- Smart cards in Healthcare
Retrieved March 11, 2008 from
http://www.sagemorga.com/index.php?mySID=f08122f292db4128fd70839858c0fb60&c
at_id=2867&menu_cat=2867&hide=2867