Wandering

Jld3

Registered User
Oct 27, 2019
37
0
My husband went missing for over 2 hours and was found on a sliproad to a busy bypass. He won't keep a phone in his pocket, takes off his watch etc. Can anyone recommend something that works that he wouldn't be able to take off? Ideally something small that he doesn't even notice. Many thanks Carole
 

Helly68

Registered User
Mar 12, 2018
1,685
0
Welcome @Jld3 . What a traumatic experience for you.
Trackers can be difficult, for all the reasons you suggest. My Mum, who was unable to do many things, was easily able to break, take apart, lose or leave behind trackers. Others may be along with specific models they have tried, maybe sewn into a lining or pocket?
For us, once Mummy really started wandering, we started the process of moving her to a care home. This is hard, but actually in the early days she flourished in this environment and liked having lots of people around her, instead of one very frazzled carer.
 

Scarlet Lady

Registered User
Apr 6, 2021
573
0
Hello, @Jld3 . Trackers sound like a great idea, but are not always as helpful as they might be. When my PWD was able to go out alone, but often forgot where she lived, I investigated getting one that I could slip into her handbag. She wouldn’t have known it was there so no resistance. But all the ones I saw ran on batteries akin to hearing aids. The batteries have a very short life if they aren’t switched off when the tracker isn’t in use. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen, so someone needed to be there to change them every couple of days. Bit of a non starter. This also proved a problem for a friend of mine whose disabled son got into bother, but was pathologically opposed to the idea of the tracker. She tried to get round it by sewing it into the lining of his favourite jacket so he wouldn’t know it was there. She hadn’t factored in the battery situation and eventually realised that unpicking and re-sewing the lining of the jacket in order to change the battery every few days was totally unworkable.
Sorry I haven’t any practical advice to offer, but maybe someone out there knows of trackers that don’t rely on batteries that need to be manually changed. Technology is always moving on, so things may be different now.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,447
0
Kent
I had a pet tag engraved with my husband`s name and a contact number on one side and the fact he had dementia and diabetes on the other side It was attached to his key ring This was before tech trackers were available but it did the trick when a couple of policemen saw he was lost and asked if they could help.

He also carried an ID card in his wallet.

 

update2020

Registered User
Jan 2, 2020
333
0
It’s a difficult phase. @imthedaughter . My local police force emphasised to me that I should register his details with them. They had a scheme for PWD for just this purpose. Then
I also took to locking doors and adding padlocks to garden gates that only I had the key for. it was not long after this time that he was assessed as needing 24/7 care. So I started employing Carers while I was at work and otherwise making sure I was always with him, eventually holding his hand all the time or he would panic and bolt.These stages unfolded over about 3/4 years.
 

Jld3

Registered User
Oct 27, 2019
37
0
Thank you all for these replies. My husband has a habit of taking things apart if he isn't sure what they are -( I'd love to know what happened to the back of his watch!) I've also looked at a device that fits in a shoe but again if he finds it he'll have it in bits. The doro watch sounds interesting so I will look into that. Many thanks ?
 

imthedaughter

Registered User
Apr 3, 2019
944
0
It’s a difficult phase. @imthedaughter . My local police force emphasised to me that I should register his details with them. They had a scheme for PWD for just this purpose. Then
I also took to locking doors and adding padlocks to garden gates that only I had the key for. it was not long after this time that he was assessed as needing 24/7 care. So I started employing Carers while I was at work and otherwise making sure I was always with him, eventually holding his hand all the time or he would panic and bolt.These stages unfolded over about 3/4 years.
I agree. The lockdown actually helped dad get used to not going out every day and now he's quite happy to stay in, so I think about stopping his subscription.