GPS Trackers for Dementia & Alzheimer's
Here you can learn further detail about using GPS trackers for people with dementia or Alzheimer's in practice. For a broader outline about how gps dementia trackers work and what they do, please see our helpful homepage Personal GPS Trackers: Everything You Need to Know.
GPS trackers provide a number of essential safety functions for people with dementia. Ensuring optimum use can be more challenging though, for a number of reasons. Each situation is different, but you might find some honest information helpful when coming across common barriers.
Why GPS Trackers for Dementia are essential
Some peace of mind goes a long way when rising to the challenges of dementia
If someone close to you has become confused of their whereabouts then you'll naturally be concerned and anxious for their safety. Until it happens, it's easy to take for granted that our loved ones - or any lone elderly people we see out walking - know where they're going. The first challenge is noticing and accepting that the issue exists - using a GPS Tracker for dementia then enables you to manage the situation with a lot more peace of mind.
There are 944,000 people in the UK with dementia, which is expected to rise to a million by 2030 (source: DementiaStatistics.org). The percentage of people with dementia who have been diagnosed is only around 63%, which has further dropped due to lack of resources and challenges caused by Coronavirus (source: digital.nhs.uk). It's therefore important to focus on behaviours and patterns of our elderly parents or partners - wandering behaviour can be one of the first signs of dementia.
GPS Tracking and Dementia Wandering
GPS Trackers for Dementia can prevent Wandering too far
The Alzheimer's Association have previously widely claimed that if not found within 24 hours, up to half of dementia wanderers face risk of death or serious injury (one remaining source, although this figure is not backed up) - however there are few actual studies of the outcomes of wandering. One American study focused on 143 dementia patients and their carers from a veteran's hospital and memory clinic. A total of 49% of the patients had suffered falls, fractures and injuries due to wandering (source: Ali et al, 2015, Risk assessment of wandering behavior in mild dementia, International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry). Another American study analysed reports of deaths from people with dementia wandering in the community. Of 93 cases, 68% died from exposure, 23% from drowning, 4% from injury or falling, and 3% were hit by a vehicle. Over half were found after three days. Also of concern is that 6% were able to travel more than 5 miles on foot. The majority lived at home, with just over a third living in care homes or assisted living facilities. Most of course do survive - but that's not to trivialise the obvious risk and stress involved.
Community searches and police involvement is an unreported world of panic - across the years we have heard countless stories from carers and relatives who had previously spent nights out on searches. We've also supplied to police forces recognising the efficiency - preventing the huge amounts of budget spent each year on searches for people wandering with dementia. When police helicopters are heard late at night, people tend to first think of criminals on the run - but the chances are much higher that someone with dementia has gone missing.
GPS trackers have developed to be superb for dementia care. Tracking devices have been quietly locating dementia wanderers in minutes, rather than the countless hours it's taking for multiple police, carers, neighbours and a helicopter to locate loved ones who aren't carrying one."We have received the dementia tracker and set it up successfully. Your instructions are very clear thank you."
When Should GPS Trackers for Dementia be Carried?
Carrying the GPS Tracker for dementia - wandering can happen on any outing
As often as possible. One study of 325 reports of missing dementia patients revealed the wandering behaviour to arise from:
- doing a normal and permitted activity alone in the community (e.g. visiting the shops or friend, a routine walk)
- a lapse in supervision where the person was expected to stay in a safe place but did not (e.g. waiting outside a store)
Wandering as a result of dementia leading to missing people reports were found to be unpredictable, non-repetitive, occurring at any time, and using a variety of methods - walking, driving, or public transport (source: Rowe et al, 2011, Persons with dementia missing in the community: Is it wandering or something unique? BMC Geriatrics Journal).
Reducing the Reliance on GPS Tracking
Prevention is always safer, but needs to be balanced with deprivation of liberty
As helpful as GPS Trackeing for people with dementia may be, of course it's far safer to reduce the chances of wandering in the first place. These ideas can help:
- Help to create a sense of routine, such as carrying out daily activities.
- Try to plan activities for times when wandering is more likely. They can help reduce anxiety and restlessness.
- If the person with dementia wants to 'go to work' or 'home', validate them without correcting them, e.g. "let's stay here today, we'll be safe and can think about that tomorrow instead".
- Remember to ensure that basic needs are met - a person with dementia may not always communicate when they're thirsty, hungry or need the bathroom, and such needs can trigger wandering.
- Never lock a person with dementia in at home or leave him or her in a car alone.
- Try to avoid taking them to busy places that are confusing and can cause disorientation (e.g. shopping malls, grocery stores)
- Don't leave someone with dementia on their own in new or changed surroundings.
- Use devices to know when a door or window is opened - which can be as simple as a bell above a door, or a home alarm.
- Keep car keys out of sight. If the person with dementia is no longer driving, they could easily forget. If you think driving might be a risk, also consider our GPS Trackers for Vehicles.
"Thank you for your unfailing and patient help. For anybody technically challenged this is very much appreciated. Problem solved very quickly – so peace of mind restored!"
Planning to use a GPS Dementia Tracker
Planning is always useful - a GPS Tracker for dementia is immensely useful but should never be relied upon for absolute safety
You should always have a firm idea of what to do if your friend or relative with dementia wanders. GPS Trackers for dementia certainly save lives but do not guarantee safety, as there is always a tiny risk of GPS interference or temporary mobile network mast tower faults (as with any cellular device).
- Begin search-and-rescue efforts immediately. The vast majority of wanderers are found within 1.5 miles of where they disappeared.
- Explain the situation to any nearby neighbours, as well as local friends and family the person with dementia could visit, to call you if they see the person alone.
- Keep a good recent photo and updated medical information in case the police are needed to help in the search.
- Be aware of a two-mile radius of where the person lives, to pinpoint dangerous areas such as water, dense forestry, tunnels, or roads with heavy traffic.
- Keep a list of likely places where the person may wander - any nearby past jobs, former homes, places of worship, pubs, cafes or restaurants.
- Provide the person with a form of ID that could be easily found.
- If the person with dementia does wander, search the immediate area for no more than 15 minutes.
- If for any reason you aren't able to locate (e.g. with a Dementia Tracker) and safely retrieve the person, call 999 and report to the police that a person with dementia is missing. They can then help in the search or collection.
- Provide relevant details of the person ahead of time to the police using the Herbert Protocol, to help if a search is required.
"I can't understate how valuable the tracker is and how much she relies on it for confidence. At 91 she stills goes for a walk most days for a mile and it's all down to the tracker. I'd go so far as to say it's reversed her decline by just being able to get out and see people in the street"
GPS Trackers & Dementia Carers
GPS Trackers for dementia bring peace of mind for the carer
When a parent or spouse is diagnosed with dementia, the impact can be just as devastating for the person who takes on the role of carer. Having to manage and care for a loved one who is increasingly dependent can lead to feelings of confusion and sadness. Resentment and anger are also likely at times, triggering guilt and then more grief while coming to terms with the changes and challenges that are faced.
An average day can become a rollercoaster of emotions, which can be made worse for the carer in a situation where they themselves might not have adequate support structures or someone to listen and care for them. It's easy for social circles - when they do feel comfortable enough to even mention it - to focus their thoughts and sympathies on the dementia sufferer, whilst the carer puts on a brave face and silently suffers alone.
It's therefore just as important for the carer to be able to adequately express themselves, and find reassurances where possible, as it is for the person diagnosed with dementia. Both are struggling through a difficult and challenging situation. More useful information can be found at Alzheimer's Research UK. Mental Health Foundation and Dementia Health also offer useful overviews.
Being able to keep track of a loved one, as well as knowing if, when and where they wander helps toward some peace of mind.
Working with dementia carehomes to ensure GPS Trackers are charged & carried
Get support workers on-board to ensure the GPS Tracker for dementia is charged and used properly
If a loved one with dementia is in a care home, they may still have opportunity to wander. You'll want to ensure the employees are on-board with using the GPS Tracker for dementia, and know what to do.
We’ve had some great feedback from care staff who use our Stray Star GPS Dementia Tracker on behalf of their service users. It's a huge benefit to care workers to be able to locate their elderly dementia patients if they go wandering or become lost - they also don’t want to have to call you and explain that your loved one has wandered from the home and can't be found! So remember to explain things from their point of view, “selling the benefits” if you need to so that you get them on board and motivated to use it. But you really shouldn’t have a problem – we’ve had some fantastic care-home support workers call in who have been extremely enthusiastic about using the GPS Tracker.
Dementia care home workers have shown enthusiasm with GPS trackers - it also makes their life a lot easier
Care and support workers can be incredibly busy though, with many other things to remember as part of their routine. Before giving the GPS Tracker for dementia or Alzheimer’s to a patient, it helps to set up as much as possible beforehand:
Activate the SIM in the GPS Dementia Tracker
The friendly welcome sheet included with the GPS Tracker contains a step-by-step guide to activating the SIM - then you'll have the associated phone number. You’ll need this for getting text locations (we've included a reminder space in the manual to write it down).
Then you can hand the GPS Tracker over to a care support worker and explain the simple text message they need to send if the person with dementia or Alzheimer's becomes lost.
Add the dementia care home number to the GPS Tracker to receive alerts
This then enables them to receive low battery alerts, be called if the GPS Tracker's SOS "panic" button is pressed on the dementia tracker, or receive wandering or fall alerts if these functions are set. You can also set these numbers up remotely (via text) and can add up to five carer’s numbers (including your own).
Ask them to charge the Dementia Tracker at set times
The Stray Star GPS Dementia Tracker can be left on the charging cradle when not in use – so this is fairly simple. They don’t even need to fiddle about with leads (or forcing the wrong one in or upside down - which can and does happen when the cradles aren't used!)
"Bought the GPS pendant for my father who is in residential care with dementia and prone to “escaping” This device is an excellent product to secret in his shirt pocket. The customer service and aftercare with this company is excellent. I have had a couple of queries & their on line service response is quick and extremely helpful. Many thanks would highly recommend"
Working with the Dementia or Alzheimer's Patient to ensure the GPS Tracker is taken out
Making the GPS Tracker for dementia part of a routine can be important
GPS Trackers for Alzheimer's or dementia can sometimes offer a challenge in ensuring the person wears or carries it - they will be vulnerable to forgetting, or perhaps just not wanting to. Your situation will be completely unique - but it may be useful to think about ways to ensure the device is used properly.
Remembering to carry the tracking device
Routine is a hugely important part of enabling someone with dementia to have structure - it offers reassurance and some stability. It helps to allow new behaviours or devices to form part of a routine. There are a variety of ways that our Stray Star GPS Tracker for dementia can be implemented into existing habits. It comes with a lanyard cable for wearing as a pendant, but can also be used as a key-fob, or carried in the optional carry-pouch on an ankle. It's also been known for customers to sew the device into the lining of jackets or handbags - which are usually routinely taken on walks. You might need to get creative in ensuring that the device is somehow carried as part of a routine.
Denial, defensiveness or refusal to wear a tracking device for dementia
This is a more difficult challenge to face, and may need a little discretion, persuasion or even deception to ensure assistance in locating should they become lost when wandering. The dementia patient may be unaware that they have become lost in the past, or even deny the possibility of becoming lost.
Our Stray Star GPS Tracker for dementia has many other functions, which could be used to explain its use to the person with dementia. For example:
- as a simple mobile phone, where they only need to press a button to call you, or accept a call from you.
- as an SOS “Panic” Button should they need to alert someone quickly.
- as a fall detector, in the unfortunate event they suffer a fall.
- as a key protector– it could be explained as a locator to help find the keys if they go missing - rather than the person.
There are so many uses that the GPS tracker for dementia's functionality needn’t even be mentioned. They don’t necessarily need to know that it can be instantly located at any time – because it works discreetly. Fortunately, they are also tamper-proof and waterproof.
"Thank you, the Dementia Tracker arrived and it’s great. My Dad has Alzheimer’s and goes out every day on the bus. The tracker is amazing we can have peace if mind knowing where he is at any given time, what a difference it has made, it’s amazing."
GPS Trackers for Dementia: ethical considerations
Helping to bring someone who is lost back to safety could save their life
There is an argument that if a GPS tracker can't be fully consented to by the dementia patient (who doesn't fully understand the usage or need) then there's an issue of personal freedom and privacy.
But what's the alternative? If a person with dementia or Alzheimer's becomes lost for hours in the cold without a location device, then personal freedom could ultimately be far more hampered by suffering a serious injury or death.
The reality of caring for someone with dementia makes it clear - simply having the option to locate them is a huge relief. The debate is often muddied by the use of tracking employees or suspicious partners – but these contexts for tracking are completely different. GPS Trackers are a life-saving solution to a very real and dangerous problem.
With regards to bending the truth – you’ll find that this is commonplace in care-home when it comes to managing patients with dementia. Whilst that doesn’t automatically make it ok, it IS just a part of the practical day-to-day care. For example, in one care home, we knew of a patient with dementia who believed they were at “work”. Would it be appropriate for the care staff to continually confuse and alarm the patient by saying “no, this is not your workplace, this is a care home and you live here permanently!” every day? The staff would continually humor the patient by going along with the scenario, asking the patient if he’s having a good day at work, and answering the many work-related questions he might have about when the next meeting was. In our opinion this isn't unethical or deceptive - it's a necessary part of the care and management of a person's mental well-being whose reality has become unfortunately detached.
At the end of the day, this is all about protecting a person from real-world consequences of the unfortunate degenerative effects of dementia. As mentioned, it's better to see them located swiftly with a GPS Tracker for dementia when necessary, rather than not.
"A great bit of kit for my peace of mind as much as Mum’s safety. I’m not using all the other functions but might do so in the future – I was very impressed by how much is possible and how customisable it is for different needs."
Two Case Studies of Using GPS Trackers with Dementia
#1A customer called Shirley called one day who was desperate to reliably track her sister with Dementia. Shirley had purchased a similar GPS Tracker elsewhere. She explained how the accuracy was often out by a mile, so offering no useful way to know where her sister was. She purchased our Stray Star GPS Dementia Tracker instead after being assured of its features and our customer service. She soon emailed in to say:
"I am pleased with the device at the moment. So far the device appears to be very accurate compared to a similar product I purchased recently, but had to return owing to poor performance."
"Sister went off yesterday and we located her to an exact address which we recognised. Therefore there was no need to worry!"
It's always great to know the devices are being useful, so we were glad to hear the following feedback from Shirley:
"So far this device is working really well for us. I have set up the online tracking and really impressed with the additional information it provides. The online tracking and notifications when my sister leaves a geo-fence all work."
#2George wrote a blog post after using our GPS Dementia Tracker:
"When you live with, and care for, a person with dementia or Alzheimer’s, you constantly fight an internal battle between restricting their activities, in order to protect them, and maintaining the normal level of activity, in order to exercise their mental acuity and permit their life style to continue with a degree of normality.
It is sometimes difficult to achieve one aim without impacting on the other. In order to exercise a degree of, unsupervised, activity, a carer feels as though they are relaxing the physical supervision that is called for, with the possibility of harm occurring to the person in their care.
The issue arises as to how a person can be safe when, for example, shopping or merely taking exercise in their immediate neighborhood.
Recently, in order to give me a degree of comfort in these two polarized matters, I bought a personal GPS Tracker that my good wife can hang around her neck, with her spectacles. This device is designed specifically for people suffering various forms of dementia.
I am extremely grateful for your speedy and succinct advice. Your email is the essence of clarity. I had a problem setting up the on-line tracking on my PC (and mirrored on my tablet). The companies Customer Services guy, Will, took my problem by the scruff of its neck and had it sorted in two shakes of a lambs tail (we do live among the fells after all). I have nothing but praise for the company and the support it provides."
More about GPS Trackers for Dementia & Alzheimer's
