Tracking the person with dementia

JacknJill

Registered User
Mar 14, 2015
1
0
Hello everyone......any ideas on this?
I have a family member with early onset dementia, now late 50's. He maintains some independence and wants to keep that as long as he can. His weekly routine one day a week is that his wife puts him on the train where they live, and he gets off one stop, 15 mins later to be met off the train by a relative. This has worked for the last 2 years. Yesterday he didn't get off the train and ended up 2 stops along. Police were excellent , he became a missing person. You can imagine how everyone was feeling. He had an Alzheimer's card on him and an ID tag. Luckily an old work mate spotted him and did the return leg with him and he was found. We don't want to take away what little independence he has but he has to be safe. On iPhones you can track friends and load 'find my friends' app- it will locate another's phone with a gps tracker. Our patient doesn't carry a phone, can't use one. My question is is there some sort of tracker out there that could be attached to a belt loop so that if he was missing we could find him via gps tracker? Thanks.
 

lin1

Registered User
Jan 14, 2010
9,350
0
East Kent
Hello JacknJill. Welcome to TP.
Their are GPS tracking devises available. I have no experience with this type of devise so am not sure where u can get them , Adult social services should be able to help or provide one.

Hopefully this is just a blip . But sadly it does happen that a person is no longer able to go out alone .Many members on here have had to follow their husbands, wives discretely .

Ps
A while ago I remember reading that some police forces were providing tracking devises to Dementia patients , so it may be worth contacting the local police. It may also be a good idea to inform them about your relative so they are aware.
 
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