By Shelley Symonds
The Longitude Prize on Dementia was created to tackle one of the most complex challenges in modern healthcare: how to help people living with dementia maintain independence while reducing risk.
The problem is not just clinical, it’s deeply human.
- How do we ensure safety and independence without constant supervision?
- How do we detect early signs of decline without being intrusive?
- How do we support caregivers without overwhelming them?
These are the same questions that have guided Theora Care from day one.
From Challenge to Breakthrough
We were the only U.S. company to be honored as one of five global finalists. And participating in the Longitude Prize didn’t just validate our direction—it accelerated it.
The process pushed us to rethink what was possible in real-time monitoring and predictive care, with the help of co-design with people living with dementia. Through the Longitude Prize, we heard loudly and clearly that people wanted to maintain independence and reduce risk inside and outside their homes. They want to know how they are doing in clear, simple metrics.
We understood that an indoor-only solution did not cover their whole life. So we took our Ultra Wideband technology that allows us to understand human movement and behavior with a level of precision that traditional sensors simply cannot match. UWB is accurate down to three centimeters and is used by World Cup Soccer and the NFL to accurately track balls on the field. We then added a smartwatch to cover outdoors, communication, and location. Throw in an AI/Neural Network to comprehend it all, and you have a showstopping solution.
Through this innovation, we’ve been able to:
- Detect micro-movements that signal early cognitive or physical decline
- Accurately track location and movement indoors and outdoors without cameras
- Differentiate between normal routines and subtle anomalies wherever a person may be
- Deliver real-time insights while preserving privacy and dignity
- Provide always on connection between the wearer and their support system to reduce false alarms and know when it’s serious.
Unlike conventional monitoring systems, UWB doesn’t just tell us where someone is, it helps us understand how they are through our continuous, passive, and intelligent monitoring.
Why Our Solution Matters for Dementia Care
Dementia care is uniquely challenging because changes are often gradual, nuanced, and easy to miss. A missed signal can mean:
- A preventable fall
- A delayed diagnosis
- Longer or no recovery for wandering or elopement
- An avoidable hospitalization
We already have too few caregivers for our aging population. Being part of the Longitude Prize community has reinforced something we strongly believe: we need solutions to amplify human care.
Looking Ahead
Being a finalist is not the finish line—it’s a catalyst to build a system that understands behavior
Theora Care has always been more than a GPS device. It is a system built to understand context.
Our platform already tracks:
- Movement and activity patterns (including fall detection)
- Changes in activity
- Deviations from daily routines
- Environmental and behavioral cues
This is what we call situational awareness—not just where someone is, but what is happening around them and within their behavior. (Theora Care) Just as a caregiver observes and understands a situation, so does our neural network.
Now imagine taking that one step further to preventing adverse events. That is transformational. Not just recognizing that something is wrong…but recognizing that something is about to be wrong. Because the future of dementia care isn’t faster response. It’s fewer emergencies.
With Gratitude
To Challenge Works, Alzheimer’s Society, and everyone behind the Longitude Prize on Dementia—thank you.
Your vision has not only spotlighted the urgency of this challenge, but has also actively accelerated solutions that can change lives by predicting and preventing the moments that lead to harm.
We are honored to be part of this journey. And we’re just getting started.