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    GPS Tracking

    rdabita
    rdabita Member Posts: 3
    First Comment
    Member
    in Caring For a Spouse or Partner

    Hello,

    I am new to this group, my DH diagnose with Alzheimer six year ago. He dose not like to stay home he want to be outside all the time. I am worried he will sneak out at night. Do you know what the best tracking device? I am looking for something can wear all the time like wrist ban.

    Thank you

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    • wizmo
      wizmo Member Posts: 98
      Fourth Anniversary 25 Insightfuls Reactions 25 Care Reactions 25 Likes
      Member

      Others will chime in with real GPS tracker experience. The best ones have monthly fees and provide real time accurate location. I found it simple to place an Apple air tag in DW’s hat which she wears all the time, set it to alert when “left behind”. I get occasional false alert but it has helped me chase after a few times. More effective has been changing front door deadbolt to require a key to get out. She tries to open occasionally and I just say ir’s broken, going to have repaired soon. An extra latch placed high can also be effective. Easier to contain than chase an escapee. The times she did escape, my air tag was not updating frequently enough to get a good location on moving target.

    • l7pla1w2
      l7pla1w2 Member Posts: 178
      100 Likes 100 Care Reactions 100 Comments 25 Insightfuls Reactions
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      I looked into trackers after my wife got lost in Maine this past summer. It's a rural area with poor cell coverage. Most trackers require some kind of connectivity, cell or Bluetooth. Garmin makes one that uses satellite communication. It's expensive, but I bought one, then returned it. It had useful 2-way communication, but IMO it was too complicated for DW to know how to use it.

      Another option is Project Lifesaver, projectlifesaver.org. It doesn't provide real-time tracking. Your LO has a transponder affixed to an ankle or wrist. If the LO goes missing, you or a search agency use a transmitter to ping the transponder to determine which direction to search. (I might have some of this wrong. Most of the information I can find is for search agencies that operate the equipment and make the transponders available.)

      If DW would carry her iPhone, which she never uses, the Find My function would be adequate most of the time (but not in our area of Maine).

    • Judy.T.
      Judy.T. Member Posts: 44
      25 Likes 25 Care Reactions 10 Comments First Anniversary
      Member

      I have a watch for my husband. It is Theora link tracker/watch. It acts as a phone, keeps track of number of steps and best of all I can track where he is! It does have a monthly bill but I have had to use it 3 times and it is well worth it in my opinion. you can set a safety zone so if LO wanders outside of the zone you get an alert on your phone.

    • DTSbuddy
      DTSbuddy Member Posts: 103
      100 Comments 100 Care Reactions 25 Likes First Anniversary
      Member

      We have a household alarm system that we put in years ago after a couple burglaries. I realized that it can be set to 'STAY' and sound an alarm when a door to the outside is opened. It beeps for a minute first, and that is enough to alert my LO that he is not supposed to go out, and he stays. Very helpful.

    • harshedbuzz
      harshedbuzz Member Posts: 4,957
      Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Likes 2500 Comments 500 Care Reactions
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      There is no technology which 100% replaces human supervision. Full stop.

      Locks/alarms of exterior doors can be helpful. A simple sliding deadbolt installed at the top of the door should be effective as most PWD don't tend to look upward. It may be a good idea to secure doors to the garage, basement for safety reasons and spare rooms just to simplify looking for things he might hide.

      Another low-tech hack is to place a dark doormat at any egress from the house. As visual reasoning tanks in Alz, most PWD will perceive a black mat as a hole and avoid the area. This was enough to keep my dad from climbing stairs.

      My friend had a mom who occasionally went walk-about in the middle of the night. Mom slept in a suite downstairs, so she installed motion detector mats on both sides of the bed which sent an alarm to her phone upstairs. She also had her doors alarmed to her phone just in case. Before she installed those, she set up bear-traps (a kitchen chair with kitchen tools, pots and pans set on them at the doors mom used. It worked pretty well until she got her Bluetooth alarms installed.

      You should also reach out to local LE on their non-emergency line to let them know you have a DH at home with dementia who is prone to elopement. Some agencies do offer tracking but most will want a physical description and recent photo in case of an emergency. Often, they will share this information with other first responders in the community so EMTs and fire services will be forewarned in an emergency.

      The downside of trackers is that you'd be counting on battery life, submersion, and compliance. They can be useful, but only if your LO has it with them. IME, Apple tracks better in real time than Tile, but every now and again, my mom's (no dementia but she does have ADHD) phone will locate her on the other side of a pond and 4 lane highway at an Autoparts warehouse about 1/4 mile from her home.

      Another useful item for you both would be a Road iD-- which is like a medic alert bracelet and would have information that identifies him and his situation if he was found by someone else. It sounds like he's at a point where, you need to wear something identifying you as a dementia caregiver od a person who needs 24/7 supervision in case you are injured or become ill.

      ROAD iD - World Leaders in Runner ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID

      https://alzconnected.org/home/leaving?allowTrusted=1&target=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.roadid.com%2F%3Fcampaign_id%3D402505042%26ad_id%3D78821427359893%26msclkid%3D7791fafed22b10bade429f644e640ef1%26utm_source%3Dbing%26utm_medium%3Dcpc%26utm_campaign%3DBing%2520%257C%2520Text%2520%257C%2520ROAD%2520iD%2520%257C%2520Brand%2520%257C%2520US%26utm_term%3Droad%2520id%26utm_content%3DCore%2520ROAD%2520ID
      ROAD iD is the premier line of ID tags and bracelets for hikers, runners, cyclists, and medical id. 4 ways to wear - wrist, wearable tech, neck, or shoe.


      HB

    • DCCEPEK
      DCCEPEK Member Posts: 95
      25 Likes 25 Care Reactions 10 Comments First Anniversary
      Member

      Door alarms have worked for us. Mil will not go near a door the sounds are piercing and loud. My neighbors hear them. Bought at Lowe's

    • MN Chickadee
      MN Chickadee Member Posts: 935
      Tenth Anniversary 500 Comments 100 Insightfuls Reactions 100 Likes
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      Apple Watches have a GPS tracking option, fall detection and more. There are many products such as Angel Sense where you pay a subscription monthly and you can track where they are, set boundaries where you will be alerted if they leave your property or don't arrive at their destination etc. But nothing is perfect and usually these products are a very short stop gap between independence and needing 24/7 supervision. If they take the watch or pendent off, or don't wear the pair of shoes holding the gizmo it's all useless. It also doesn't prevent them from being preyed on by scammers, picking a fight due to odd behavior, going out in harsh weather without proper attire, walking in the road in the dark risking being hit. I would add locks in high places on the doors. Check Amazon; there are a variety of door alarms and floor mat style alarms for the bedside.

    • rdabita
      rdabita Member Posts: 3
      First Comment
      Member
      https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/193854#Comment_193854

      Thank you for the feed back I like the idea to have a key to get out

    • rdabita
      rdabita Member Posts: 3
      First Comment
      Member

      Thank you all for all the information you provided, very helpful. I really appreciate it. Thank you again

    • /STEVE
      /STEVE Member Posts: 15
      Second Anniversary 10 Comments 5 Insightfuls Reactions 5 Likes
      Member
      edited January 2024

      I keep looking and have not found anything that is 100%. DW likes to walk the dog. I make sure she has her phone. It is a android and I have placed "Where My Droid" on it. Then I can use my computer when she is gone to long. she like to talk. It works about 80% of the time. DW does not know how to use the phone, and if I keep her from messing with it does the job.

      She does not wander,she just but hears voices and the other night call the cops that some man was yell out front, I did not find out until they call back for more information. But any way I have gone with dead bold on the two door (needs a key inside) and the patio door is not locked so she could get out of the house but fence is locked, so be in the yard. I wear the key around my neck so I always have it.

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    Commonly Used Abbreviations


    DH = Dear Husband
    DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
    LO = Loved One
    ES = Early Stage
    EO = Early Onset
    FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
    VD = Vascular Dementia
    MC = Memory Care
    AL = Assisted Living
    POA = Power of Attorney
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