LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- A new shoe outfitted with a GPS chip aims to offer peace of mind to Alzheimer 's patients and their caregivers . It 's common for people with Alzheimer 's or other types of dementia to wander from their homes . The embedded GPS tracking system will allow the wearer of the shoe to be located instantly online and for their whereabouts to be monitored in real time . The shoe may offer hope to the growing number of people with Alzheimer 's disease . More than 26 million people worldwide live with Alzheimer 's , and the figure is set to exceed 106 million by 2050 , according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health . `` This could not only save lives but potentially save governments billions in search and rescue operations , '' Andrew Carle , a professor at George Mason University who was an adviser for the project , told CNN . Patients of Alzheimer 's , the leading cause of dementia , can easily become confused or disoriented , and it 's common for them to wander from their home and not be able to find their way back . The shoe is the latest in a wave of assisted-living devices , from home sensor systems to pill boxes that remind people to take their medication , targeted at keeping Alzheimer 's patients safe . Kathi Cordsen , an iReporter from Fullerton , Calif. , whose aunt has Alzheimer 's , welcomed the development of the shoes . `` It 's really sad how this illness creeps up on a person out of the blue , '' she said . `` I think these shoes could help quite a few families to be able to keep [ their loved ones home ] instead of putting them in a home . '' What do you think about GPS-outfitted shoes ? Tell us in the SoundOff below . Carle , an expert in aging and assistive technologies , said businesses are honing in on ways technology can improve the quality of life for older adults . The market for microchip-based technology alone is worth an estimated $ 5 billion , he said . While tracking devices may help those with dementia live independently , they have also raised ethical concerns about informed consent and personal privacy , according to Gayle Willis of the Alzheimer 's Society in the UK . `` As long as people with dementia are involved in the decision-making progress , assisted living technologies can play an important role to help people live well with dementia , '' she told CNN . But , Willis noted , they can not be a substitute for good quality care and more research needs to be done to see what products work best for people . The shoe is a collaboration between GTX Corp. , a firm that specializes in miniaturized GPS tracking devices , and footwear company Aetrex . Details are still being worked out , but GTX Chief Executive Patrick Bertagna expects the shoe to retail for around $ 200 to $ 300 . For a monthly fee of about $ 20 , caregivers will also have the option to subscribe to a GTX service that automatically alerts them when the wearer of the shoe leaves a designated boundary . Sixty percent of Alzheimer 's patients will get lost at least once , said Carle . Because they often will not seek help or respond to assistance , nearly half of them risk death if not found within 24 hours , he said . Electronic wristbands and ankle bracelets have been used to track sufferers of dementia before , but those devices tend to be bulky and uncomfortable . The shoes , on the other hand , are designed to be unobtrusive . Testing of a prototype is expected to be completed by the end of the year and the shoe will likely be rolled out in 2010 .
Shoe with GPS system aims to improve safety of seniors with dementia . Alzheimer 's patients often wander from home and ca n't find their way back . The shoe is designed for people who have trouble walking, but can still use a cane or walker.