Holding his hands, fifteen year old Kenneth Shinozuka sings as he guides his grandfather’s steps. Due to his alzheimer’s, he is no longer able to walk, eat or carry out day to day activities unassisted, something that most of us take for granted.
One night, Kenneth’s family was awoken by a knock at the door. A police officer had brought the elderly man home after finding him on the freeway. Concerned for his grandfather’s safety, and unable to find a suitable solution, the youth decided to come up with one of his own.
The result of his hard work has the potential to improve the lives of innumerable people suffering from the disease, and will allow their caretakers to rest easy knowing they are safe. The device consists of a small sensor that is able to be placed on a sock and links to a smartphone.
When pressure is detected, as would happen when the wearer steps on the ground to get out of bed, the linked smartphone sounds an alarm. Caretakers could then use the accurate tracking to find their lost love one and return them to safety.
At the nursing home, where Kenneth has been fine tuning his device with the help of some of the residents and staff, he places a sock with the device on one of his helpers, Ida. He explains to her that she has been very helpful in the development of the device.
Staff members chime in, stating that the device is very accurate and makes their lives easier. Kenneth hopes that one day he will find a cure for alzheimer’s, but until then, he will be improving the lives of countless patients and their caring families and caretakers.
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