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Freddy Strauss can gauge the economy by the decline in the size of the diamond engagement rings he’s selling at his store in Miami’s Seybold building.
These days, happy couples are opting for a diamond between 3/4-karat and 1 karat — half the size of the average ring during boom times.
“I’m probably selling a similar amount, but they’re lower-priced,” Strauss said.
His business was down low double-digit percentages during the holiday season, normally one of the valentines gifts popular times for engagements. But Strauss actually is in a better position than many in the jewelry industry. Couples still get married in recessions, and most guys wouldn’t think of skipping the engagement ring if they want a happy marriage.
Skipping the gold bracelet or pair of diamond earrings is a different story. As job losses and the stock market crash take their toll on consumer confidence, jewelry has become a luxury many people can’t afford. Even those who can are scaling back.
And while Valentine’s Day is a popular time for jewelry purchases, most retailers aren’t expecting a boom in business this week.
“The environment isn’t encouraging for people to go out and spend flamboyantly on a $10,000 necklace,” said Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, a firm that specializes in luxury consumer behavior.
Local retailers are finding ways to cope. Some are bringing in new, lower-priced merchandise, while others are marketing heavily to the ultra-wealthy.
Nationally, the picture is not pretty. Holiday jewelry sales during November and December were down 31 percent at Mayors stores, the bulk of which are located in South Florida. Tiffany was down 35 percent, Zale 19.6 percent. Sterling Jewelers, which owns Jared the Galleria of Jewelry and Kay Jewelers, was down 16.4 percent.
“This year’s holiday season has proven to be extremely difficult,” said a statement from Thomas A. tiffany accessories, president and chief executive of Birks & Mayors, which has co-headquarters in Tamarac. “The losses suffered by investors in the equity markets, historically low consumer confidence and lack of visibility in the economic outlook resulted in a significant reduction in consumer spending.”
Between 1,500 and 2,000 jewelry store locations closed in 2008, including the bankruptcies of major mall-based chains Whitehall and Friedman’s jewelers. And the industry is bracing for another difficult year in 2009.
“It’s survival mode,” said Rob Bates, senior editor of Jewelers Circular Keystone, a leading trade publication. “Companies are just trying to get through this and hope to make it out the other side. In this environment, being big isn’t necessarily an asset. A lot of the independents are doing much better by comparison.”
Being smaller has proven to be an advantage for many of South Florida’s independent jewelers, particularly those who have been in the market for decades and built relationships with their customers. They’re holding on, refocusing their merchandise and in some cases even seeing increases in business.
Jeff Malvin, president of Beverly’s Jewelers, saw the economy slowdown coming last spring and started adjusting the merchandise at his three Broward County stores so he was ready.
By the time the fourth quarter arrived, Malvin had brought in new showcases of lower-priced silver tiffany keys and other alternative metals in fashion-oriented styles. For Valentine’s Day, he’s promoting these products with ads, “Look like a million for under $100.”
“You’ve got to pull your head out of the sand and adapt to what’s happening,” said Malvin, whose sales were flat for 2008, but down for the holidays. “You have to have your finger on the pulse of your local neighborhood. We adjust to the customer’s needs. Women still want jewelry, but at a price point they can afford.”
H. Bredemeier, owner of H&H Jewels in Coconut Grove, has been able to spur business by helping clients remodel old jewelry or trade it in for credit on a new purchase.
“The last six months I’ve done more trades then I’ve done in the last two years,” Bredemeier said. His sales for 2008 were down 30 percent, but that follows a 23.5 percent jump in 2007.
“We’re still doing numbers like 2005,” he said. “We were making a living in 2005. You just have to readjust.”
For Ed Dikes, owner of Weston Jewelers, the adjustment has meant shifting his business in a different direction — toward the ultra-luxury consumer. He’s added more high-priced watches and diamond jewelry at prices of $25,000 and higher. Dikes has found that most of his customer demand is concentrated in that area, as well as some demand for items between $500 and $1,500.
What’s disappeared for Dykes and others is the aspirational client, who a couple years ago was trading up and living off a big bonus.
“The high net worth client seems to always have the money; they haven’t been hit as much,” said Dikes, whose strategy helped his business finish 2008 with a sales increase. “The person who was the $10,000 buyer can’t afford to make purchases anymore because they’re worried about making ends meat.”
The economy didn’t seem to be putting a damper on the spirits of the luxury consumers who came to celebrate Levinson Jewelers’ grand opening last week on Las Olas Boulevard. They sipped champagne and checked out items like a 37-karat emerald cut diamond ring for $6 million.
Karon and Lew Cohen were thrilled the Levinsons had found them the 16-karat, three-stone diamond ring they had been searching for.
“Whatever is not here, they can find it for you,” said Karon Cohen, a Miami Beach resident who was proudly displaying her new purchase. “They sell you jewelry that suits your personality, not based on just making a sale.”
Levinson customer Robert Weinstein is actually buying more jewelry these days for his fiancee, Karina Modrin.
“It’s a good investment,” said Weinstein, a Boca Raton resident who recently purchased a diamond necklace, earrings and engagement ring. “It’s like buying fine art. These are all solid commodities. Diamonds are only going to go up. It’s better than putting your money in the stock market.”
Weinstein isn’t the only one. Jewelers in South Florida who cater to the ultra-wealthy say they’ve seen an increase in customers looking to buy collectable watches, diamonds and gold as investments.
But those customers are being very picky about what they buy, said Sandy Hequin, owner of Morays valentines day jewelry in downtown Miami.
“Bling is out,” Hequin said. “Nobody wants to be flashy and call attention to themselves and make others feel bad. They want to be conservative. Classic, investment quality is what people want.”
The good news for South Florida’s jewelers is that even though buying habits are changing, many consumers are at least still spending.
“Miami has always been very different than any other market,” Hequin said. “We always have someone with money to spend.”
Complications, movements and haute horlogerie at the Baselworld Fair took a back seat to glamour this year.
A shining powder-blue temple of taste stood out like an elegant beacon among the serious, sober Swiss stand as people queued to view the debut collection of the new Tiffany Watch Company.
This is a partnership formed in 2008 between Tiffany & Co New York and the Swatch Group, combining the refinement of the New York brand with the distribution prowess of the world’s largest manufacturer.
The traditionally successful aspects of Tiffany watches, such as the Atlas and Tesoro collections, have had a most delicate design makeover, giving them a sleeker, modern look.
When searching for a safe pair of hands to tweak Tiffany watches into contemporary pieces that would appeal to markets around the world, Nicolas Hayek co-founder and chairman of the Swatch Group, decided to keep it in the family.
Who would understand the feminine brand of Tiffany and effect the necessary subtle changes better than Nayla, his only daughter, who has sat on the board of directors of the Swatch Group since 1995?
“I always tried not to enter the watch world,” admits Ms Hayek, a successful international Arabian horse breeder and judge. “But I have had strong views about our watch brands so my father said ‘if you’re always critical, then do something about it’.”
It must be difficult to avoid becoming immersed in watches when your family owns the world’s largest watch company. “As a family we look at watches all the time and talk about them,” she says. Even at Christmas lunch? “Yes, even then.”
At the fair, she is confident that accepting the challenge to become CEO of Tiffany Watch Co has been the right decision. “We’ve had tentative orders from the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Russia, China and Taiwan,” she says.
“I want to keep Tiffany as a feminine watch brand,” she says.”I wasn’t thinking about jewellery watches though because too many brands are doing that. The most important thing is to have a broad selection of designs.”
In Ms Hayek’s view, too many women’s watches are either jewelled pieces or smaller versions of a man’s watch. “This is the type of watch I search for as a woman,” she explains pulling out one of the newly-launched Atlas Lady pieces.
Ms Hayek owns about 30 watches including pieces by Rado, a couple of Longines including a diamond set L’Elegance evening watch, the Reine de Naples by Breguet and many by Blancpain. “It’s my favourite brand,” she says. “I love the understatement of Blancpain and the pure design. I will wear Tiffany but I’ve told them that I will still wear my Blancpain watches,” she laughs. “Well, I’ve got two arms.”
Fortunately for a brand famed for its high jewellery aesthetics, Ms Hayek loves diamonds so the 150-year heritage of classic diamond set vintage style evening watches a la Audrey Hepburn will flourish. “I like big stones and blue colours like aquamarines, topaz and turquoise.”
This explains the Tiffany piece de resistance at Baselworld, which is a full pave set cuff watch set with baguette diamonds with 5 Av set in the centre in scintillating blue diamonds.
New Keys Collection Unlocks Personal Style and the Heritage of a Legendary Jeweller
Tiffany & Co., the distinguished and legendary American design house and style icon, presents announces a new jewellery collection that holds the key to personal style and reveals the premier jeweller’s renowned legacy.
The new Tiffany Keys Collection is inspired by keys from the Tiffany & Co. archives. The work of skilled gold and silversmiths – these exquisitely crafted vintage keys unlock jewellery and keepsake boxes, diaries and steamer trunks. Other keys were designed as gem-encrusted brooches and charms. Even though Tiffany’s quality needs no seal of approval, the company guarantees impeccable quality and timeless style, one of the basic tenets of the jewellery house.
Commenting on the collection, Pegah Goldooz, General Manager Tiffany & Co., UAE said, “Tiffany’s new collection is amazing and perfect for the gifting season. Gifts are truly one of the highest forms of gratitude and good taste. And giving one at the right time makes it all the more special. These magical talismans are reworked in the Tiffany Keys Collection of pendants and charms in 18 karat yellow or rose gold, platinum with diamonds or sterling silver. Oozing ethereal beauty, these accessories are flashpoints of glamour for the season and years to come.”
The collection includes an array of fanciful designs: medallion-shaped keys that promise access to wondrous places; romantic heart-shaped keys that might keep love letters private; poetic flower-topped keys that are graceful and feminine; and luxurious keys set with sparkling diamonds. Worn alone or layered, Tiffany Keys are innately chic, keepers of a mysterious message for the keyholder to know and the curious to imagine.
Giving away a Tiffany pendant to your near and dear ones can create sparkle in their eyes. It is one of the best ways to celebrate love and friendship. Just pick one of them from your nearest store to create that incandescent gift-giving moment ever. Discover the new Tiffany Keys collection now available at Tiffany & Co. boutiques in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. What is more, each gift comes wrapped in Tiffany’s famous blue box, symbol of life’s finest moments. 2009 Al Bawaba (http://www.albawaba.com/)
Launch of Hammerman ‘Jeweler to the Stars’ Broadens Assortment – One Dollar Opening Bid Gives Shoppers the Ultimate Valentines Day Gift Opportunity
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ — First Auction today began the first of seven daily auctions of jewelry pieces from Hammerman Bros., a manufacturer for Tiffany, with opening bid prices starting at one dollar. These seven items, including necklaces, earrings and bracelets range in value from $4,200 to $19,000. This marks the first time that these fine pieces of jewelry are being offered online.
“Offering our customers the Hammerman jewelry collection normally found at an exclusive jewelry store exemplifies First Auction’s commitment to expanding the opportunities for auction retailing,” said Bill Lane, Chief Operating Officer of Internet Shopping Network. “Our goal is to give customers unique opportunities to save on the broadest assortment of merchandise,” added Lane. “The auction format delivers that promise and mixes in the elements of fun and excitement.”
As the Internet’s leading auction retailer for jewelry, First Auction’s launch of Hammerman Bros. jewelry will make more than $3 million in fine bracelets, rings, necklaces and earrings available to online shoppers. The opening bid prices on all fine jewelry from Hammerman are up to 75 percent below traditional retail.
The seven jewelry items with $1.00 opening bids will be offered each day from February 1 through February 7. Each auction will last 48 hours. These items include:
* An 18K 7″ Diamond and Emerald Bracelet (7.43 CTTW). 72 round diamonds, joined by 36 prong set emeralds alternating in clusters that overflow with color and light. MSRP $19,000
* 18K 7″ Ruby and Diamond Bracelet (6.99 CTTW). Three-row bracelet encrusted with high-color diamonds and brilliant rubies. MSRP $13,175
* 18K Diamond, Ruby and Emerald Half Hoop Earrings (4.70 CTTW). Two rubies, two emeralds and an astounding 196 diamonds, all selected for their remarkable clarity. MSRP $12,900
* 14K Diamond Five-Row Ring (1.45 CTTW) Size 6. MSRP $4,200
* 18K Diamond “X” Half Hoop Earrings (4.15 CTTW) MSRP $12,495
* 18K Ruby Diamond Swirl Ring (1.83 CTTW) Size 7. MSRP $4,400
* 18K 17″ Diamond and Red Spinel Necklace (6.17 CTTW) MSRP $9,430
Hammerman Bros. is a manufacturer for exclusive jewelers like Tiffany and in is included in the jewelry collections at Bergdorf Goodmans and Saks Fifth Avenue. Hammerman Bros. jewelry’s unparalleled design and beauty has made it the choice of celebrities such as Janet Jackson and society trend setters from New York City to Palm Beach to Aspen.
First Auction was the first auction retailer to offer jewelry as a major auction category when it launched in 1997. It has since developed a large repeat customer base among its more than 270,000 members. In addition to jewelry, First Auction offers home and leisure merchandise, women’s apparel, consumer electronics, computers, furniture, collectibles and more. Launched in 1997, First Auction was the first real-time auction on the Internet. Its Flash Auctions, a First Auction exclusive feature, are 30 minute auctions with starting bid prices of one dollar. Flash Auctions offer customers the most exciting auction experience on the Internet.
About Internet Shopping Network
Internet Shopping Network (www.isn.com), a division of USA Networks Interactive, launched the world’s first online store in 1994. ISN continues its online commerce innovation with First Auction (www.firstauction.com), the first real-time online auction, featuring the most diverse selection of home and leisure products, jewelry, apparel, consumer electronics and computers. ISN plans to launch new commerce sites in 1999 including an online outlet shopping center. Internet Shopping Network is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. SOURCE Internet Shopping Network
The psychological upheaval of Sept. 11’s terrorist attacks at first hurt online jewelry merchant Blue Nile Inc. Sales fell off in the aftershock.
But along with the post-attack patriotic fervor came a huge wave of emotional reactions that will help the Seattle-based e-tailer record its first profitable quarter.
More men, seeking stronger emotional attachments, bought engagement rings, engraved lockets or diamond crosses for the women in their lives. It also helped that Blue Nile offered a sterling silver bracelet with a flag charm. The patriotic item proved so popular that the company had to restock it three times.
Blue Nile will close its first profitable quarter this month, earning an estimated $1.3 million to $1.5 million for the three months ending Dec. 31 – and that’s net, not pro forma. Privately held Blue Nile still expects to lose money in 2001 on estimated revenues of $50 million.
Blue Nile first had already started making money in August, but saw its potential third-quarter profit slip away in September immediately following the attacks. Then in October, engagement ring sales jumped 20 percent over a year ago.
Chief executive Mark Vadon expects the company’s profitability to carry over in to the first quarter of 2002 – and beyond.
Outlasting other onlines
Venture-backed Blue Nile, founded in 1999, is a dot-com survivor. It has managed to outlast other online competitors such as well-heeled Miadora.com, which targeted women with designer jewelry.
Vadon says that’s because Blue Nile has held the line on advertising costs, honed its target marketing, controlled inventory and stayed lean.
“We run our business with 80 employees who each generate about three-quarters of a million in sales. That’s off the charts for most retailers,” Vadon said. “We carry one set of inventory and we turn it faster than anybody in the industry.”
Blue Nile, which has about 1 percent of the engagement ring market, sells its jewelry and watches at steep discounts, between 20 percent to 40 percent below its brick-and-mortar competitors.
While most jewelers maintain a 50 percent profit margin, Blue Nile’s lower operating costs enable the e-tailer to squeeze a profit out of its leaner 20 percent to 30 percent markup.
Another advantage is that there is no “800 pound gorilla” dominating jewelry sales. Wal-Mart with a 3.5 percent share, is the industry’s largest player. Wal-Mart and Blue Nile’s other main brick-and-mortar competitors, Zales Jewelry and Tiffany & Co., also target a different group of customers.
By operating online, Blue Nile avoids the leasing and staffing costs associated with competing brick-and-mortar stores. Without rows of display cases to fill, the company can manage its inventory through one 4,000-square-foot warehouse in Seattle.
Shipping is free with a 30-day money back guarantee on a jewelry sold through the Web site. The Web site also provides an online primer on diamond purchasing and certifies the quality of each diamond it sells.
While men shopping for gifts still account for the bulk of Blue Nile’s revenue with an average purchase of about $1,000, half of its sales are to women purchasing less expensive accessories for themselves.
Blue Nile targets Net-savvy men between 25 and 49 years of age with household income above $60,000 who are uncomfortable shopping for diamonds and looking for a good value. Wal-Mart and Zales sell lessexpensive jewelry to more budget-conscious consumers, while Tiffany’s customers are older, more affluent shoppers who are less sensitive to price than prestige.
Zales does only about $10 million in sales online because its lowerincome customers are not as likely to go online to shop, Vadon said. Meanwhile Tiffany’s customers prefer the experience of shopping in a luxury store to shopping online.
“Psychodemographically, they are very different,” Vadon said. “They feel really good about shopping at Tiffany’s. … Our customers feel out of place there. They are intimidated by the experience.”
Concentrated marketing
As Blue Nile has matured, the company has shifted away from its early scattershot approach to marketing to concentrate on more efficient direct mail and online advertising.
“In our early days, we tried everything – we did TV, did print, did some radio, some online and direct marketing,” Vadon said, “We learned early on that TV, while it helped grow brand awareness, did not drive sales in the short term.”
Online advertising costs have dropped dramatically as a result of the dot-com debacle. Blue Nile, which used to pay portal sites such as Yahoo on a per impression basis for each page view, now pays for performance only, with portals taking a commission on sales generated through their sites.
Blue Nile has marketing relationships with AOL, Yahoo and MSN, several smaller portals and a number of Internet search engines. The company also has an exclusive relationship with the Wedding Channel, the online gift registry for a number of traditional retailers.
Blue Nile was recently named the best jewelry site on the Web for the third year in a row by Fortune magazine.
With profitability at hand, Blue Nile plans to spend the next year building revenue, Vadon said.
That could be a challenge as the recession continues to bite into sales of luxury goods in general. While the e-tailer sold a $60,000 fourcarat diamond ring in November and a $40,000 item earlier this month, such sales are less common these days. Sales of Blue Nile’s 9carat “Eternity” diamond necklace have dropped off sharply since the dot-com crash.
Publicly traded rival Web site Ashford.com Inc. in Houston, which sells a variety of luxury goods online, is losing money and recently was acquired by Global Sports in King of Prussia, Pa. Additionally, said analyst Dan Geiman at McAdams Wright Ragen in Seattle, “That sociological trend toward coupling we may be seeing may be a fairly short-lived spike.”
Blue Nile has had two rounds of layoffs, cutting a total of 30 jobs in 2000 and early 2001 as improved technology enabled the company to automate a portion of its customer service, But Blue Nile still has a cache of venture capital to fall back on should the economy make continued profitability elusive.
Backers include Paul Allen’s Vulcan Ventures Inc., Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Bessemer Venture Partners, Trinity Ventures, Integral Capital Partners, Comdisco Ventures and lightSpeed Venture Partners.
“We are generating positive cash flow, we have significant capital in the bank and there is no pressure to do anything to get liquidity,” Vadon said.
VNU Jewelry Group Timothy V. Welo, 646-654-4955 or Bratskeir/ Seidman Meredith Bryan, 212-679-2233 mbryan@bratskeir.com or Erin Cohen, 212-679-2233 ecohen@bratskeir.com
VNU Expositions is pleased to announce the appointment of Nancy Robey to the position of Vice President of the VNU Expositions Jewelry Group. Robey was previously Group Brand Director at VNU.
Robey has been instrumental in guiding the Jewelry Group to a distinctive level since she joined VNU in 1994. She is responsible for both the development and launch of the Couture Jewelry Collection & Conference in 1995 and recently achieved success with the Couture Diamond Leadership Conference, launched to great reviews at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in October. Her knowledge of this selective market and understanding of the clientele have made the Couture shows the industry’s premier event.
“I’m thrilled about my expanded role with the VNU Expositions Jewelry Group and looking forward to continuing to bring the best service and standards to our partners in the industry,” says Robey. “The success of Couture has been exhilarating, and it emphasizes VNU’s dedication to the needs of our exhibitors and buyers. I am excited to continue my work with Couture and also to work more closely with the outstanding JA New York shows, which are in a class of their own in terms of the breadth of their selection and the efficiency of their business environment.”
The expansion of Couture will continue under Robey’s leadership in conjunction with Show Director Mindy Fielman, with the debut of the Couture Pavilion at the upcoming JA New York Winter Show, January 23-25, 2005 at the Jacob Javits Center. This special exhibitor section is designed to expand upon the very successful Couture Club at JA New York, and will provide exhibitors and buyers with an array of special amenities – and of course, Couture’s unparalleled business environment. The debut of the Couture Pavilion coincides with the move of the exclusive Couture Jewellery Collection & Conference from Phoenix to the brand-new Wynn Las Vegas this upcoming spring.
The move to Las Vegas will also signify the debut of Signature Salons, which will immediately follow Couture in early June. Signature Salons promises to be an exceptional event, showcasing the finest names in the jewelry industry in a world-class business and luxury environment. With the incredible demand for exhibitors to remain at the Wynn after Couture in its first year, Signature Salons is poised to become a premier jewelry event for the entire industry moving forward.
Robey will take on an expanded role in the leadership of the JA New York Shows, which include the JA New York Winter and Summer Shows and the JANY Special Delivery Show, which debuted this past October at the Javits Center in NYC. JA New York continues to lead the industry in attracting exhibitors from around the world to showcase their diverse collections in a highly organized, service- oriented, and professional environment. With the addition of the Couture Pavilion at the Winter Show, JA New York has raised the bar of expectations and promises to cater to the most discriminating buyers and exhibitors. Under Robey’s direction and in collaboration with Drew Lawsky – JA Show Director, JA New York will remain at the forefront of the jewelry industry, setting trends and defining the jewelry exhibition experience for years to come.
Robey’s influence in the jewelry industry has been widely acknowledged, and her work with Couture exemplifies her unparallel vision for both perfection and prestige. She received the NW Ayer Chairman’s Award as Account Executive while working on the DeBeers account from 1987-1991 and the prestigious Women’s Jewelry Association Award for Excellence in Marketing as an acknowledgement of her outstanding leadership in 1997. Prior to joining VNU, Robey held such esteemed positions as the Director of Advertising at Tiffany and President of her own consulting business, Robey Partnership.
About Couture Jewellery Collection & Conference
The Couture Jewellery Collection & Conference is the definitive event for the most upscale jewelers and the designers, manufacturers, watchmakers and press that serve them. Like the premier fashion designers who present their new lines on the runways of Paris, Milan, London, and New York, the world’s elite jewelry designers gather to show their latest collections at the Couture Jewellery Collection & Conference. The conference is by-invitation- only and to the trade.
About VNU Jewelry Group
The VNU Jewelry Group is a division of VNU Expositions Inc., a leading event management company producing trade shows, conferences and special events. VNU Expositions produces more than 50 conferences and trade shows annually for professionals in fields ranging from presentations and training to travel, design and retail merchandising. VNU Expos reach thousands of industry leaders each year in collaborative environments designed to inspire, inform and entertain. VNU Expositions is part of VNU Business Media, which publishes Couture International Jeweler, the official business journal of the Couture Jewellery Collection & Conference.
Jim Nalley’s heart breaks when he hears of a tragedy like Elizabeth Richards’.
The 89-year-old Bedford woman was found dead in her locked car along a rural tiffany jewelry Oklahoma highway last year, a week after her family reported her missing. Authorities say she apparently became disoriented on her way home from a mall in Hurst, drove 160 miles north and died of heatstroke.
The news stories about Ms. Richards’ disappearance hit home with Mr. Nalley, a telecommunications executive. Months earlier, he had formed a company and set out to design an electronic monitoring system that would quickly find older people with dementia who wander.
“I wanted to cry,” he said. “I told myself, ‘This didn’t have to happen.’ ”
His Frisco-based company, EmFinders, is developing a tracking system that he believes could have located the confused woman within minutes of her reported disappearance and directed law enforcement officials to her. He and his business partner, Chris Buehler, hope to roll out their product by summer.
Law enforcement authorities and Alzheimer’s Association officials who have studied EmFinders’ cufflinks system, or seen it demonstrated, say they’re intrigued. They agree it could provide peace of mind to families of the 5.1 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Six in 10 people with dementia will wander at least once, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. They may leave home because they’re bored or restless. Or they run an errand and forget where they are. Or they just take off for no apparent reason, sometimes in the middle of the night.
Dallas police are called to find about four missing seniors every week, said Sgt. Reginald Matthew of the department’s Youth and Family Support Division.
“Wandering can turn out to be life-threatening more often than people think,” said Lisa Brodsky, director of programs and services for the Dallas chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “If someone with dementia isn’t found within 24 hours, he runs a 50 percent chance of serious injury or death.”
Electronically tracking Alzheimer’s patients is mostly a scattering of rudimentary business ventures at the moment, as small entrepreneurs experiment with radio-based and satellite technologies. But experts predict it will grow into a full-fledged industry when 78 million baby boomers reach old age.
EmFinders will fit its customers with radio transmitters disguised as tamperproof bracelets or watchbands that, when remotely activated, will notify 911 dispatchers, Mr. Nalley said. The coin-size devices will use the cellular network to pinpoint their location and guide rescuers to them.
“Though cellphones with global positioning chips have become popular with perpetually moving teenagers money clips and young people, they aren’t practical for older adults with dementia,” the EmFinders chief executive said. “So we had to build another kind of system for people who can’t use cellphones.”
How it works
When someone with Alzheimer’s disappears, the caregiver will notify the police and EmFinders’ call center. The center will turn on the bracelet’s transmitter so the device can contact the 911 system and provide the person’s location. The call center will also give the 911 dispatcher more details about the lost person.
“What’s appealing about EmFinders’ system is that it’s not pie-in-the-sky — it relies on a combination of current technology and local law enforcement,” said Monica Moreno, a national executive with the Alzheimer’s Association.
EmFinders expects to charge about $100 upfront for the device and $10 to $15 per month for support services, Mr. Nalley said.
When the company demonstrated its system for the Austin police and Austin Alzheimer’s Association, it determined a person’s location to within 15 feet after about 10 seconds. Mr. Buehler said a similar demonstration is planned for the Frisco police and Dallas Alzheimer’s Association.
The North Texas Enterprise Center for Medical Technology recently brought EmFinders under its umbrella of start-up companies. The Frisco-based nonprofit organization helps entrepreneurs launch technology-related business ventures.
“Jim and Chris got our attention because they have a solution to a fast-growing concern for families,” said pendants Larry Calton, the business accelerator’s director.
Mr. Nalley and Mr. Buehler say their electronic tracking system will take caregivers a couple of steps beyond current anti-wandering efforts.
The Alzheimer’s Association now sponsors a Safe Return program that notifies law enforcement authorities when someone wanders off. Participants wear ID jewelry with the program’s toll-free number. Then, when someone finds a missing person, the wanderer can be identified and reunited with relatives.
The association recently joined with MedicAlert, a nonprofit group, to make health records available to emergency medical personnel if a wanderer requires immediate attention.
Still, the program must rely on a law officer or Good Samaritan to spot someone in distress. Texas law enforcement officials began issuing Silver Alerts last fall to enlist the public’s help in finding missing seniors, similar to Amber Alerts for missing children.
Project Lifesaver
The best-known program for locating the missing is Project Lifesaver, an international nonprofit organization that teams with local law enforcement agencies to provide Alzheimer’s patients and autistic children with wristbands that emit radio signals.
But the program exists only where police participate. About 640 agencies belong to the project, including 12 in Texas, said spokeswoman Amber Whittaker. The only member agency in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is the Grapevine police.
Pat Van Dyke, who’s 56 and lives in McKinney, began wearing an Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return earrings bracelet shortly after being diagnosed four years ago. However, she was intrigued enough by EmFinders’ idea to join a focus group about the prospective product and offer her opinions.
Although Ms. Van Dyke still leads an independent life and works as a volunteer, she wants to be prepared for the possibility she will lose her way someday.
“It would be a relief to me and my family to know I’d be found quickly,” she said. “Yes, I’m definitely interested in some sort of tracking system.”
Three hurdles
Anyone developing a product for tracking people with dementia will need to overcome three problems, said Majd Alwan, director of the Center for Aging Services Technologies, a national coalition of technology companies, senior care providers and universities.
The first problem is cost. No matter how sophisticated, a satellite-based system that charges hundreds of dollars a month won’t attract buyers, he said.
The next hurdle is battery life. If batteries need recharging every few days, caregivers will think the system is more a burden than a blessing, Mr. Alwan said.
And the last obstacle is appearance. If seniors don’t find the transmitting device attractive, they won’t wear it, he said.
Mark Warner, co-founder of the Alzheimer’s Store, which sells hundreds of Alzheimer’s products online, offered key rings some low-tech advice to the high-tech entrepreneurs struggling to design an aesthetically pleasing transmitter.
The answer may lie as much in the presentation as in the design, he said.
“I’ve found that seniors will wear anything their grandchildren give them,” he said. “Just wrap up the transmitter as a present, say it’s from little Susie, and you’ll never have to worry about it being tossed into some corner.”
While a proposed revision of this city’s comprehensive plan received generally good tiffany jewellery reviews Monday night, mention in the document of a potential “ring road” outside the city limits brought harsh criticism from rural Latah County residents and others.
The outcry came during a public hearing before members of the Moscow City Council. As of press time, the council had not taken action on proposed passage of the new plan.
Perhaps the most impassioned opposition came from retail businessman Gerard Connelly of nearby Troy, owner of Tri-State here.
“Moscow is the first town of its size that I’ve heard of that thinks a bypass is a good idea,” Connelly said. “It’s just common sense. But it’s amazing how uncommon common sense is.” Connelly said a bypass or ring road or any other proposal to steer traffic out of or around town will effectively kill the town.
“Those of us who oppose the ring road bypass have been told by city officials not to worry about it because it’s tiffany necklaces far too expensive to build and there’s no realistic expectation it will ever happen,” Connelly said, suggesting the council was flirting with the law of unintended consequences.
“It has an immediate impact on property where it’s planned to go,” Connelly said. “Whether or not it’s intentional, the city government seems hell-bent on doing as much harm as it possibly can to Tri-State and other Moscow retailers.”
At least twice, Mayor Nancy Chaney told Connelly to stay on topic.
“This is on topic because the ring road bypass is going to damage the community,” Connelly tiffany pendants retorted. “That’s the point. I know you spend a lot of time talking about how many chickens should be allowed inside city limits, but I’d like to have my say here, please.”
David Trail, who lives just northeast of the city limits, said he spoke for 28 residents calling themselves Friends of Youmans Lane Wagon Road. Members of the group live in the vicinity of where comprehensive plan maps show a possible ring road or construction of traffic collector routes.
“There is no right way to do something wrong,” Trail said, reciting what he called the group’s motto. “We’d like to have that designation changed and preserve the neighborhood.”
Jeff Harkin, representing the 160-member Latah County Rural Alliance, lauded work done on the city’s comprehensive plan revision, but suggested the city has no place or authority to be even suggesting traffic routes through rural property.
Harkin said such planning, even if far in the future, signals intent, and intent breeds expectations. “Once you, as a political group, designate certain activities on certain land as a plan, that creates an expectation.” Such a process causes confusion and concern, Harkin said, of the kind now being voiced.
City spokesman Bill Belknap acknowledged inclusion of a potential ring road concept, including drawings of such a bypass on maps, seemed to trigger the concern.
“One topic I’d certainly like to emphasize is that the city does not build roads. Typically, roads are tiffany earrings built by developers when property is developed,” Belknap said.
Former Mayor Marshall Comstock echoed that contention, saying Trail and others need not worry about the city developing a ring road across their property. “They will not build any kind of street out there. The person who develops that property out there is going to build the roads.”
But Connelly, Harkin, Trail and others who spoke at the hearing said even the mention of a ring road, let alone drawing it on maps, will trigger concern, speculation and possible reduction in property values.
Chaney reminded people the comprehensive plan is supposed to represent a collective vision and the tiffany key rings document has no legal clout or authority.
Johnson may be contacted at djohnsone@lmtribune.com or (208) 883-0564.
Start the holiday season early with the Snake River Community Players’ production of “The Best Christmas tiffany jewellery Pageant Ever.”
Performances are 7 p.m. Nov. 20 and 23 and 2 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Wendell High School auditorium. Tickets are $7 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, and $25 for families, which includes two adults and all the children in the family.
In the “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” preparations for an annual church Christmas show dissolve into chaos when the director breaks her leg and the ill-mannered Herdman children take over the lead roles.
Co-director Lorna Irwin said the play spreads a fun, positive message that’s perfect for the holiday key rings season.
“It’s all about people,” Irwin said. “It’s about finding the best in everyone.”
Information: Irwin, 324-7544.
Credit: The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho
H1N1 Shots Available Saturday
By The Chronicle
A limited supply of H1N1 flu shots will be available from tiffany jewelry 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the South Tower Pharmacy, 417 S. Tower Ave., Centralia. A $10 donation will be accepted but is not required.
Only the following priority groups will be able to receive the vaccine (subject to change depending on type of vaccine available — injectable or nasal spray — and quantity available):
–Pregnant women (vaccine may not be available at this site)
–Ages 2 through 24 years old (vaccine not available for those 6 months through 2 years old)
–Ages 25 through 64 years old with chronic medical conditions
–All health care and emergency medical workers
–All adults, children and teens who care for infants under 6 months old.
Workshop Assists Seniors With Medicare Enrollment
By The Chronicle
Open enrollment time for Medicare will continue through Dec. 31. silver earrings Two workshops will be held regarding changes to Medicare D prescription drug coverage to assist seniors with getting information to help make decisions about health care and prescription drug coverage.
The first workshop will be held Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library, and the second workshop will be held Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Centralia Timberland Library. Both days will have speakers from 10 a.m. to noon and a workshop for individual assistance from the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program from 1 to 3 p.m.
Speakers will include professionals from the Lewis County Health Department, SHIBA, Hall’s Pharmacy, and Assured Home Health and Hospice.
For more information, call Valerie Mason at the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area silver key rings Agency on Aging at 748-2524 ext. 101 or 748-2288.
Evergreen Playhouse Seeking Volunteers and Holding Auditions
By The Chronicle
The Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia is looking for volunteers and potential board members to help choose and produce plays and other events presented year-round.
For more information visit http://evergreenplayhouse.wordpress.com or its Facebook page by searching “The Evergreen Playhouse.”
Auditions will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday for “Over the River and Through the Woods” at the Evergreen Playhouse, 226 W. Center St. For more information call director Norma Rogers at 262-0712.
Shop for Christmas, Help Fight Cancer
By The Chronicle
Team Remembrance is hosting a “Guilt-free Shopping Day” from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at silver necklaces 18139 Sunshine Lane S.W., Rochester.
There will be Pampered Chef, Cookie Lee, Tupperware, Mary Kay, Stampin Up and more in one convenient location.
A portion of the proceeds, with some vendors giving half or all, will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
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