An electronic patient monitoring system that alerts the nursing staff when a patient (or patients) is leaving the nursing unit is a welcome aid in the care of Alzheimer's disease patients and other patients with dementia. The system design is based on a wrist watch size radio transmitter, worn by the patient. A detector unit, placed at the two doors, senses the presence of any patient wearing a transmitter watch. With the detection of a patient's transmitter, a microprocessor based controller locks the exiting door, activates an alarm, and displays the patient's name and location on a computer monitor screen. The personal computer records the time and date for each patient's attempt to leave the unit. This data may then be used for statistical analysis. The number of patient monitoring channels has been increased from four to eight. The system has been in continuous operation and has become a dependable aid to the nursing staff.
