Posted on 08/13/2017 6:02:17 PM PDT by MNDude
I am needing some assistance and Technical advice regarding the right option for purchasing a tracking device for a senior citizen with dementia.
I have an elderly friend whose wife is in an unsecured assisted living home. Last week she wandered off into the rural small town. So I am trying to help my friend find the correct tracking device for his wife. It seems like everything has a drawback. Here is what is important for what we are looking for. One. It must have a long battery life. It seems like most devices out there last for only about 30 hours. Two. It must have long tracking distance. A Bluetooth tracking device is good only for 100 ft I'm pretty certain. I imagine it must use real GPS tracking. Three. It must be simple. Many of the care workers at this place are likely to be Farm wives. So we are hoping to get something that is simple to set up and to work with.
I know many members here are senior citizens so I'm hoping someone here might have some knowledge or experience regarding this. Thank you.
This has been a good service for my mom and dad. Dad passed away two years ago after suffering with dementia for ten years.
https://www.bayalarmmedical.com/
If she is walking, that will be a tough one. If she’s in a wheelchair it’s a lot easier.
I put this one on my mom’s wheelchair.
You can buy an extended battery for it with a case. It will last about 3-4 weeks.
Best wishes in finding what you need. My mom lost Dad a few times: he would step out of their apartment, if her back was turned, and not be able to find his way back.
The staff would call her from the lobby of their apartment building.
She needs to be moved from assisted living. That is nothing more than living in a dorm. They are generally under no obligation to go looking for anyone that leaves the property.
She needs to be in a locked dementia unit.
Sorry but that’s where her best care will be
A tracking device does not prevent her from leaving the stove on or wandering in the middle of the street or drinking drain cleaner
Or there's a watch/phone that has a gps and when you call, it Will automatically answer, so you can listen
Here are some specs on some devices. Most have ‘zones’ that can be set. That is, if Nana leaves the grounds of the rest home, for instance, a real-time alarm is sent to designated people. Some allow two-way communication, some are crowd-sourcing, some are wearable as a necklace or watch, etc. Once you have an idea of what’s available in features, branch out from there for pricing and competition to get the best deal.
https://www.safewise.com/blog/10-wearable-safety-gps-devices-kids/
I’ve been were you are. Please consider a locked dementia unit.
Based upon my protracted experience with my late mother, who died five years ago, I must agree she ought to be placed under strict 24/7 care.
Just knowing where an alzheimer’s/dementia patient is simply doesn’t solve critical issues.
My mother lost all sense of reality, thought my father, who died in 2000, was still alive and insisted she had to keep “appointments” she did not have and did things like getting dressed with intent of leaving the house.
Dealing with someone afflicted with these crippling brain diseases is a true nightmare.
Is that elderly person Joe Biden?
I agree with those that say she isn’t at the proper level of care. The bare minimum would be a facility where an alarm is tripped when she walks out the door, but the real solution is a secured memory care unit.
I second that we had to do that with my mother in the five years she was there my dad never missed a day going to see her and he had given up driving whether it be one of us kids or a taxi or walking he never missed a day okay I’m going to go cry now
Since law enforcement does the searches, they would be the best ones to ask.
If you can be sure she keeps her cell phone on her at all times, there is an app called Life360 that uses the phone’s locator to track movement. It can be cued to send alerts when a tracked party leaves a certain place or arrives somewhere. A lot of parents use it to track their kids’ driving and out-of-home movements. And it lasts as long as the cell phone’s battery does.
there are gps watches, inserts for clothing and shoes. The bigger issue is what will she always keep with her. for instance if she’s used to wearing a watch some of the kid gps watches are rigged to set off an alarm if removed.
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