Is mum on the verge of wandering.

Anniebell

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
115
0
Hi I'm feeling quite anxious about mum at the moment on Saturday I'd spent the day with her and all seemed well she was quite tired when I left on Sunday morning my mums neighbour rang me her husband has a taxi and was off to work about 7 on the Saturday evening he was sorting out his stuff waiting for a job to come in when there was a tap on his car window it was mum coat on she had turned lights out locked door " are you waiting for me ? " this neighbour told her he was going to work he took her back inside, he came back about 8 30 to take his dog for a walk and same again stood on doorstep asking if he was taking her out his wife came round and settled mum down.OnSunday another neighbour told taxi driver neighbour that she had seen mum opening her front door on more than one occasion and it was after 12 !!! We have a door sensor set from 8.30 pm to 7 30 am it has a five min delay the alarm company didn't ring to alert us so I think she was just opening and shutting door I'm so worried now can't sleep wondering what mums up to in the small hours I know This is a symptom of AD wondering if this is the start of it and shes going to go out I live about 10 miles from mum and I'm now wondering what to do the alarm company only alert us they don't send anyone round by the time I got there she could have gone a fair way I'm thinking I would phone the police would they respond to this type of call I know mums neighbours look out for her and would respond but there not watching all the time Annie x
 

sinkhole

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
273
0
If you think the door sensor & monitoring isn't going to be reliable enough then maybe consider a GPS tracker attached to something she would always leave the house with (coat, bag, keys etc.).

If there's an internet connection or wi-fi you could use, maybe consider installing your own CCTV camera covering the front door. Even the cheap ones are quite sophisticated these days and can be set up with various types of monitoring zones, alarms and even two way audio.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
My husband would do this all day and night if I were not here. To be honest once you've got a wanderer they are no longer safe to live alone. John is quite clear in his head about where he is going but the world is a different place to what's in his head. People, places, things are no longer as they used to be.

Worst of all he cannot find his way back.

You may well have to look at a nice residential home very soon.
 

Tin

Registered User
May 18, 2014
4,820
0
UK
Does seem so Anniebell, my mum is a confirmed wanderer, only to the garden gate and usually just to check its closed, but once or twice she has ventured out the garden gate. Night time wandering is a completely different thing, it seems to be wrapped up with sundowning, gets dressed packs a plastic bag with the oddest of things and wants to get out the house all the time. it starts around 10pm I just cannot get her to stay in bed and by midnight, well its anyone's guess when she eventually runs out of steam and goes back to bed, usually in day clothes.

Sinkhole's advice is good, it could be time to update your warning systems.
 

Anniebell

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
115
0
THanks everyone for your replies mum has wifi we kept it on after dad died it was easier for her phone and we use it when we go so will look into this cc tv I'm what you would call a bit of a technophobe but hubby and son could sort it its such a worry I might apply to work nights may as well I don't sleep on top of mum I have a 20 year old son that hits the town every weekend lol x Annie
 

sinkhole

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
273
0
Something like this is a good starting point. As long as you've got wifi and a power socket nearby, you can put this camera up anywhere in the house, control it and see the live video from anywhere remotely over the Internet on your tablet/PC/smartphone.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JOAL4GG

It also has 2 way audio so can even be used for screening callers or stopping your mum if you see her doing anything she shouldn't be! Mind you, 'voices from the all-seeing eye' might be distressing so maybe not a good feature for everyone.
 

VonVee

Registered User
Dec 15, 2014
69
0
Poole Dorset
Wandering off & GPS ..

WANDERING OFF & GPS Trackers - ideas & advice please..
Hiya's

Ok, don't laugh! But I'm thinking of GPS'ing my mum!!!, she's been wandering off now for a good few months since Dad passed at Xmas, and the stories from my mum, from the carers, and from the other residents, are a cause for concern, at first I just thought she was dreaming, hallucinating if you like (she does this) she goes to sleep really early and ends waking up in the middle of the night, and stories have emerged about her going out in the dark late at night, and strange men approaching her wanting to have sex with her, at first I just shrugged this off, thinking it was just another hallucination, but a resident came up to me earlier today, elderly themself, and told he see's my mother regularly outside the flats, standing and staring into space or sitting on the bench at 1 and 2 in the morning, he lets Mum in and tells her to go back to her flat... This has happened a few times, and I must admit, she has phoned me before at 10.45 and 12.30 at night, with various things like, thinking I'm boots the chemist and she wants to buy some skin cream, or asking me where Don's (Dad) gone, and she's trying to find him, etc etc (sad ain't it)

So safe to say I think it's time for some type of GPS system, either a badge, a watch or shoe soles, I know they aren't cheap, and I'm prepared for that, but I like to find out what are the good ones that work and what are the bad that don't, has any one on here tried them? what do you think? And can you recommend a site or two?

If anyone can help me with this I'd be eternally grateful. So thank muchly in advance.
Vonne xx
 

sinkhole

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
273
0
Hi VonVee, as mentioned previously, the starting point is to define what type of tracker she will be able to cope with (or put up with!).

So to narrow down the search, can you answer these:

1. Would she put up with a 'wearable' tracker (like a wristwatch) bearing in mind it needs to be on her at any time when she might wander, so perhaps 24/7?

2. If not, is there something she always takes with her (favorite coat, bag, bunch of keys, phone etc.) which could have a small tracker attached to it permanently?

3. Who would be responsible for charging the battery and how often can they realistically do that (or if you had two trackers, how often could you swap a fully charged one for the one in use)?

4. Do you only need to know if she leaves the building or are there other times you need to find out where she is, or where she has been in previous hours/days ?

5. Does she currently have a mobile phone and does she always take it with her when she goes out?

Not a definitive list, but if you or anyone in a similar situation can answer these questions first, it helps to determine what type of GPS tracker would be suitable, then we should be able to provide some links.
 
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