Tracking devices come in many forms, including wearable and attachable accessories. Trackers provide added safety for seniors with dementia living at home. Seniors with dementia can sometimes feel anxious or disoriented, causing them to leave their home in search of something familiar. This is called wandering, or elopement, and is a common but potentially dangerous symptom of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia in seniors. If your loved one wanders, a GPS tracker can help you find them quickly — and prevent emergencies and potentially harmful situations. However, your loved one may require memory care if their wandering persists.
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There are many wearable options for dementia trackers that make it easier for the senior to keep with them at all times. Wearable GPS tracking devices can be worn inside a shoe, as a watch, on a belt, as a bracelet, on a keychain, and more.
The GPS SmartSole is a rechargeable tracking device sealed in a water-resistant shoe insert that can be trimmed to shoe size. By setting up an account on MetAlert’s monitoring app and purchasing a service plan subscription, families can have access to the following features:
The SmartSole works wherever T-Mobile 2G coverage is available, although you don’t need to be a T-Mobile customer to use the device. It has a battery life between two and four days, depending on use, and it can be recharged in just a few hours with its wireless charging pad.
Cost: The insert is $359, and required service plan options start at $29.95 a month.
AngelSense uses specialized tracking technology and offers a wide range of benefits and utility to caregivers. The following features can be accessed through a smartphone app synced with the AngelSense wearable device or watch:
One of its most unique tracking features is the two-way voice tool that enables caregivers to hear the user’s surroundings or speak with their loved one. If a watch doesn’t suit your loved one’s lifestyle, AngelSense’s wearable tracker can be worn on a lanyard or fastened onto clothing, like a belt or shirt.
Cost: The AngelSense kit containing the tracking device with fasteners or watch is listed for $229. There’s a service plan starting at $44.99 a month, plus an activation fee.
Perhaps the easiest way to track your loved one is with something they wear on a daily basis, like a watch. Modern technology allows many watches to double as GPS-tracking devices to help caregivers and family members track the movements of dementia patients in their care. Dementia tracker watches can also help track your senior’s health with features that monitor heart rate, sleep, and more.
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If wearing a GPS tracker is out of the question, some options can be inserted into a wallet or a bag, attached to a lanyard or keychain, or simply placed in a pocket. However, you’ll need to consider whether or not your loved one will remember to have the device with them at all times.
Niki Gewirtz is a senior living expert with more than 20 years of experience advising families on memory care and other types of senior living. She cautions against the idea of relying on devices like these if your family member is in the advanced stage of dementia.
“People with advanced dementia may have a harder time reading or telling time, so they may also have a harder time remembering to have a specific device on hand,” cautions Gewirtz. “For instance, if the device usually stays in their wallet or purse, what if they forget to bring that on their walk?”
These particular trackers may be more helpful for seniors in the early stages of dementia who can follow a caregiver’s instructions and remember to bring the tracker along when they leave the house.
The PocketFinder Smart Tracker uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular information to locate users. The device, just like the keyless entry remote control for a car, is small and fits easily on a key chain or in a pocket — plus it’s water resistant. This tracker also has an SOS button that will alert any programmed contacts when pressed.
Caregivers can log in online or use a mobile app to view the following information from the tracker:
Cost: The device is $99, and it requires a monthly service plan that costs $12.95 per month.
The iTraq Nano uses cell towers to determine location, so it can be used anywhere there’s cell service. While it’s not a real-time GPS tracker, you can set specific “Guard Zones” and receive alerts if the tracker leaves or enters those areas.
The device itself is about half the size of most smartphones and easily slides into a pocket or connects to a key chain. Caregivers can use the iTraq mobile app to access location reports updated every 10 minutes or just once per day. Alerts will also be sent to caregivers when the device’s SOS button is pressed.
Cost: The iTraq Nano is $129, and its service plan costs $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year.
The Bay Alarm Medical SOS Mobile is a lightweight, ultra-compact device that can be attached to a lanyard or belt. Using Bay Alarm Medical’s app, caregivers can look up the user’s location at any moment as well as check on battery life. In a crisis, the senior can click a button, and Bay Alarm Medical’s response team will contact their friends, family, or neighbors. They can even notify local emergency services if needed.
Cost: The Bay Alarm Medical SOS Mobile device currently costs $99, plus a $29.95 monthly subscription fee. A fall detection feature is available for an additional $10 per month.
If you’re looking for highly rated GPS trackers with fast shipping, Amazon is the way to go. Take a look at the best-selling dementia trackers on Amazon.
The LandAirSea 54 GPS Tracker is a waterproof, magnetic GPS-tracking device. It can attach to vehicles, fit in small pockets, or be hidden in a bag. The device uses Google Maps for tracking and offers real-time location that can be viewed by caregivers online or via the SilverCloud app. It can be particularly helpful for older adults who still drive.
This tracker offers the following useful features:
Users can also share their location via text message. The LandAirSea 54 is known to be dependable, with 6-foot tracking accuracy and up to several weeks of battery life.
Cost: The listed price on Amazon is $29.95. Users must also purchase one of the subscriptions, which cost between $9.95 and $24.98 per month. Please note that these prices are subject to change.
Tracki is a GPS tracking device with worldwide coverage. This small and lightweight device works anywhere with any network. It comes with a built-in SIM card, strong fixture magnet, waterproof cover, belt clip, key chain, and lanyard. Tracki’s alerts and features include the following:
Family members and caregivers can track their elderly loved one’s location with Tracki’s app. If real-time tracking isn’t needed, the dementia tracker will track only one to three times per day, resulting in battery life that can last for 30 to 75 days.
Cost: On Amazon, Tracki is $18.88, with subscription costs starting at $9.95/month. Please note that these prices are subject to change.
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When researching GPS trackers for seniors with dementia, consider the following factors:
“Look for something that wouldn’t be scratchy or uncomfortable, especially if the person has become hyper-sensitive to having clothing or other things on their skin,” Gewirtz says. “Keep in mind, relying on someone with dementia to remember to put something on or bring something with them is not the best idea. Make it as easy as possible. This likely means you should opt for something that stays on at all times, such as a wristband or shoe insert.”
Also remember to consider what stage of dementia your senior relative is in. Tracking only provides one way to keep them safe. If their wandering and other symptoms have become a significant concern, it might be time to consider professional support.
GPS trackers for dementia patients have many benefits. They can help you track your loved one’s movements, detect falls, monitor heart rate, and alert emergency authorities. However, using tracking devices isn’t the only way you can use technology to care for a senior with dementia.
Consider the following technologies to make caring for your loved one easier:
Creating a safety plan and using tracking technology can help you minimize the dangers of dementia symptoms, specifically wandering. If you know your loved one is at risk, think of scenarios that might create confusion, and figure out ways to stay aware of their whereabouts — a device from the list above may be a solution. However, that might not be the case for every senior.
“Wandering is a very common symptom of dementia that can start to escalate in the middle to late stages of dementia,” says Gewirtz. “Sometimes, families start to see that staying at home is unsustainable. But it might not be until the police or neighbors have to get involved with their loved one’s safety that a family considers this a crisis situation.”
Gerwitz wants families to know that while GPS trackers may benefit seniors in the early stages of dementia, these devices are a temporary solution to a serious concern.
“Dementia is progressive, and safety concerns will continue to develop. For example, if the person with dementia likes to walk in the neighborhood and is in the early stages of dementia, a GPS tracker could help make sure they haven’t gotten lost. However, if the person is getting more confused or has started to leave the house at unusual times, it’s time to consider the next step, which is a secured memory care environment.”
Memory care units generally have caregivers trained in dementia care in a stand-alone wing or in a secured area of an assisted living facility. Caregivers in these wings provide 24-hour supervision to the seniors with dementia. Additionally, dementia care units are often specially designed to be easy to navigate and safe for wandering in an enclosed, secured area.
If you need help finding a suitable option for a loved one with dementia, reach out to a Senior Living Advisor at A Place for Mom for personalized advice. They can help you discover potential home care or memory care options in your area, and their advice is always free.
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