Clairvoyant Network's Solutions Selected in Alzheimer's Study

Clairvoyant Networks, LLC, a leading provider of remote monitoring technology for family and professional caregivers announced today that the Company’s Theora® Care technology will be engaged in a first of its kind research project funded by The Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium (TARCC). The grant from TARCC was awarded to Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and the University of North Texas Health Science Center for the multi-site study, “Assessing the utility and effectiveness of monitoring technology for reducing caregiver burden for Alzheimer’s Disease.”

This grant signifies the first Texas research study to examine the usability of this innovative remote monitoring technology to reduce the risk associated with wandering. Its goal is to prepare family caregivers to respond effectively in situations where their loved ones are at safety risk due to wandering and other behavioral issues commonly found in persons with dementia. The research study is especially timely, as technology will be instrumental in supporting the rapidly increasing caregiving requirements of the Baby Boomer population whose aging will accelerate the expected numbers of people with dementia and dementia-related conditions. Currently an estimated 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and by 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly 14 million (Alz.org). Coinciding with the increase of people with Alzheimer’s is the impending care gap and the need to incorporate consumer-friendly technology into current care services to support the additional demand for caregiving.

Stephen Popovich, president and CEO of Clairvoyant Networks, states, “Clairvoyant has been working with Texas A&M and Baylor Scott & White since our company’s inception. TARCC recognized the coming storm and the importance of bringing together experts in Alzheimer’s and connectivity technology to help proactively solve what is quickly becoming an elder care crisis. Now we have the additional honor of expanding this collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and the University of North Texas Health Science Center.”

Regents and Distinguished Professor Marcia G. Ory, PhD, MPH, of the Texas A&M School of Public Health, who is the founding director of the university-wide Center for Population Health and Aging and a key researcher in the study, commented, “This is an exemplar research study utilizing innovative technology to learn how we can improve the quality of life for those who have dementia as well as their caregivers. While we all strive for a permanent cure for these debilitating diseases, it’s imperative that we develop additional means to positively impact the vast Alzheimer’s community now and in the coming years, as we as a people live longer and face massive forecasted care shortages.”

The overall aim of the study is to examine the usability and usefulness of a wearable device that has several features connecting the care recipients and caregiver. This device enables the caregiver to set up and track physical activity patterns, identify safe zones and monitor location, and provide two-way communication—all important aspects of dementia and Alzheimer’s care management. The Clairvoyant technology being used in the research project includes the Theora Connect™ wearable for care recipients, coupled with the powerful Theora Link™ smartphone app for caregivers. The two-way communication in the study utilizes multi-band 4G LTE cellular service.

Alzheimer’s disease is a global issue and affects millions of Americans age 65 and older today - 380,000 of those individuals are Texans. Texas ranks fourth in the nation in the number of Alzheimer cases and second in the number of Alzheimer deaths. In Texas, 1.4 million unpaid caregivers provided care to the 380,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s in 2017, which equates to 1.6 billion hours of unpaid care at a cost of $20.2 billion per year.

About the TARCC 

TARCC is a collaborative Alzheimer’s disease research effort established by the State of Texas in 1999 through the Council, and has grown to comprise nine medical schools, including Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, University of North Texas Health Science Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas A&M Health Science Center, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. TARCC’s mission is to address better diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Since the first state funding for Alzheimer’s research in Texas history was approved in 2005 by the 79th Texas Legislature, the Council has funded $43,422,496.83 in research grants across the TARCC member institutions in Texas.

About Texas A&M University Center for Population Health and Aging 

As a Texas Board of Regents approved University-wide Center, the Center for Population Health and Aging promotes innovations in research, education and practice that examine social, behavioral, economic, environmental, and technological solutions linking academic and real-world clinical and community settings. The Center offers expertise in promoting health and wellness programs, chronic disease prevention and management, building healthy communities, and exploring interactions between health, aging, and technology. It strives to improve geriatric care, evaluate policy issues related to population aging, grow the pipeline of experts in gerontology and geriatrics, and identify interventions for promoting healthy aging across the life course, with a special concern on Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders that improves the lives of Texans and other individuals throughout the nation and the world.

About Clairvoyant Networks, LLC 

Clairvoyant Networks, LLC has developed the Theora Care suite of IoT devices and SaaS applications to provide family and professional caregivers with better condition information, communications, and location services for care recipients. Recognized by Caregiver.com and Austin Inno for its innovative technology, our solutions deliver situational awareness not only for the caregiver, but also for the home, medical and care management professionals that are involved in the care team. Our customers range from family and professional caregivers to technology leaders, as well as our ongoing participation in research studies with government health organizations and academia. Clairvoyant Networks, LLC, has offices in Austin, TX, and Raleigh, NC. For further information and to see how we can help you, please reach us at http://www.theoracare.com, support@theoracare.com, or follow us on Twitter @Theora_Care and @ClairvoyantUWB, on Facebook at facebook.com/theoracare and on YouTube at youtube.com/theoracare.

Contact: 

Clairvoyant Networks, LLC 

Melanie Guthrie 

Melanie.Guthrie@clairvoyantnetworks.com