One, two, is one of many counting-out rhymes used to teach numbers. This one dates back to London, 1805. Remembering has always been a challenge for us even when our brains are working.
Of the many learning techniques that aid our ability to recall information is a mnemonic like the rhyme in the headline. They do so by increasing the efficiency of the process of consolidation. This process involves the conversion of short term memory to long term memory. A mnemonic may be visual, kinesthetic or auditory. Mnemonics are successful as they rely on associations –We remember spatial, personal, surprising, physical, sexual or humorous or otherwise meaningful information, as compared to retrieving arbitrary sequences.
Now that is where the GPS Shoe comes in. Someone that has a cognitive disorder like Alzheimer’s can’t retrieve their learned sequences…the associations that once were there are now blocked by plaque which destroyed their ability to make memory connections. But the disassociated bits of memories drive them to want to retrieve those connections and they mobilize to do so. They wander. Once out and about they become disoriented and lost. Most times only a quarter-mile or so from home, but one man traveled 3000 miles before he was located.
The GPS Shoe was patented by GTX Corp. It is being manufactured and distributed by Aetrex Worldwide. This ordinary looking, but comfortable walking shoe has a 2-way GPS device embedded within it so that a person wearing it can be located by a caregiver with a click or two on a web enabled device like a smart phone. It also has a memory and will recall all the routes they have taken, because they will wander more than once. The smarter shoe — Simple, safe, intelligent, kind and affordable.
