QR codes are being given to dementia patients in Japan to attach to their fingernails in order to track them and prevent them from getting lost.
The company behind the initiative is based in Iruma, near Tokyo.
The 1cm square QR codes contain the address, phone number and ID number of each user. The service is free and is designed to help reunite family members with their lost elderly loved ones.
The stickers are water resistant and last up to two weeks.
“There are already ID stickers for clothes or shoes but dementia patients are not always wearing those items,” said a local official.
The QR code stickers can also be attached to toenails so they can be hidden underneath socks for more discretion.
Japan currently faces an aging population. More than 1/4 of its citizens are aged 65 or over, which is estimated to increase to 40% by 2055.
