Using technology to help when a person goes missing

[Shel_B]

Hi everyone,

We've had the below request from our Sector engagement team.

Please feel free to comment with your experiences



When a person with dementia goes missing

There are times when people with dementia want to walk about because it can help to relieve stress and boredom and is good exercise.

However, people with dementia often have problems with orientation and memory, which may make it hard for them to find their way home. This can cause carers to worry about their love’s one’s safety. Especially if the person with dementia leaves the house at any time of day or night.

In the sector engagement policy department, we have been looking into using technology to help people with dementia to live well and remain safe. Door sensors can let your family or friends know if the front door is opened (for example during the night).

Unfortunately, sometimes people with dementia wander away, become lost and unable to remember their way back home. We have been working with the police to learn about the technology used to help locate missing persons with dementia.

The technology, which can be worn by the person with dementia in the form of necklace, bracelet, badge or hangtag stores essential information about them including their name and next of kin. This information can be accessed by an app and scanned with a mobile phone, if the person with dementia becomes lost and disorientated.

Sector engagement would love to hear your story, if you or a loved one have used this technology. Maybe it helped a person with dementia to be found quickly before they became cold or upset? Please let us know your experience.

 

[Palerider]

Hi everyone,

We've had the below request from our Sector engagement team.

Please feel free to comment with your experiences



When a person with dementia goes missing

There are times when people with dementia want to walk about because it can help to relieve stress and boredom and is good exercise.

However, people with dementia often have problems with orientation and memory, which may make it hard for them to find their way home. This can cause carers to worry about their love’s one’s safety. Especially if the person with dementia leaves the house at any time of day or night.

In the sector engagement policy department, we have been looking into using technology to help people with dementia to live well and remain safe. Door sensors can let your family or friends know if the front door is opened (for example during the night).

Unfortunately, sometimes people with dementia wander away, become lost and unable to remember their way back home. We have been working with the police to learn about the technology used to help locate missing persons with dementia.

The technology, which can be worn by the person with dementia in the form of necklace, bracelet, badge or hangtag stores essential information about them including their name and next of kin. This information can be accessed by an app and scanned with a mobile phone, if the person with dementia becomes lost and disorientated.

Sector engagement would love to hear your story, if you or a loved one have used this technology. Maybe it helped a person with dementia to be found quickly before they became cold or upset? Please let us know your experience.

I think the use of technology in dementia is and always will be uncertain to date until there is a away of meeting the underlying problems which means a way to resolve a contrvention of their human rights. Technology just does not work on people with dementia for a variety of reasons mostly because whatever we choose to use as a marker the person with dementia will either not take with them or remove it as in my own numerous experiences with such technology -unless there is something these companies can come up with it proves nothing other than a money making racket who can garauntee nothing. Short of chipping people with dementia (which is entirely illegal and against many human rights laws in many countries) these companies have to stop selling technology which is in effect entirely useless and certainly not dementia proof.