Shoes that will help track seniors suffering from Alzheimer's and other dementia will be available next month in U.S. markets.

The shoes which have built-in GPS will be shipped to U.S retail stores according to manufacturer GTX Corp with an initial batch of 3,000 pairs to the footwear firm Aetrex Worldwide. The shoes will sell for $300 a pair and will have a built-in GPS located in the heels of the walking shoes. Buyers will need to set up the monitoring service to keep track of wandering seniors suffering from dementia.

The shoes have been in development for two years and are aimed at saving lives and greatly reducing the risk for seniors who have wandered away from their primary care giver. The family or caregiver can monitor the senior by activating a "geofence" that will trigger the system if the user moves beyond a certain area.

Andrew Carle, a professor at George Mason University's College of Health and Human Services who worked on the projects said that 60% of dementia sufferers wander from home. Half of those who wander who are not found in 24 hours run the risk of dehydration, exposure or injury.

"It's especially important for people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's who are at the highest risk," Carle told AFP.

"They might be living in their home but they're confused. They go for a walk and they can get lost for days."

The shoes are more effective in the long run than other GPS devices like bracelets or pendants because they can get lost and seniors often don't want to wear them.

"The primary reason is that paranoia is a manifestation of the disease," Carle said. "If you put something on someone with Alzheimer's that they don't recognize, they remove it. If it's a wristwatch and it's not their wristwatch, they will take it off. So you have to hide it."

GTX Corp. and Aetrex have received certification from the Federal Communications Commission this year for the GPS shoes. Originally the shoes were intended for children and long-distance runners but upon the advice of Professor Carle the companies changed the focus of the shoes. The manufacturers are hopeful that they will find a market for the shoes considering the costs of finding Alzheimer's stricken seniors.

"This is a significant milestone for both companies and while the $604 billion worldwide cost of dementia has become and will continue to be a significant fiscal challenge, the under $300 GPS enabled shoes will ease the enormous physical and emotional burden borne by Alzheimer's victims, caregivers and their geographically distant family members," said Patrick Bertagna, chief executive of GTX Corp.