Cambrian research aims to help Alzheimer's patients

Four nursing students at Sudbury’s Cambrian College are trying to prove a product developed in the city could be helpful for families dealing with Alzheimer's.

Results from the study will go to the provincial government with the goal of having a Sudbury-based business receive provincial funding for its system. Care Link Advantage already has three provincial governments on its customer list and is looking to add Ontario.

Their product is a series of sensors and cameras that monitor Alzheimer's patients and send information back to loved ones. It's designed to keep patients in their homes longer.

Care Link wants the Ontario government to adopt the system — but first some research needs to be done.

'Allow them to age in their home'

The nursing students will install the systems in 10 homes. After 12 weeks, they will interview caregivers to see how families with and without the technology fared.

"Ultimately, what we'd like to see is that we can reduce the costs on long term care and provide more seniors with more options and allow them to age in their home instead of pushing them into long term care facilities before they're ready to go," said Lisa Allen, an applied research developer at Cambrian.

Sonia Del Missier used the technology when her mother was sick.

"She's one of those very fiercely independent people who, you know, certainly was not gonna go anywhere in terms of a retirement home," she said.

Del Missier's solution was to install one of Care Link's systems, and she believes it helped keep her mother in her home for an additional year.

The research project will begin in January.