OT: GPS 'tracker' for Alzheimer's patient?

[Lobster]

Sorry, a bit OT for this group, but I *know* someone here will have the answer if there is one (and I don't know of a more suitable ng TBH)

An elderly relative suffers from Alzheimer's disease and is prone to wandering off without warning from her old folks' home and getting lost. Does anyone know of a way that she could in some way be 'bugged' so that when this happens again, her location could be determined quickly enabling her to be found promptly and returned home safely?

I know there are various systems around intended for kids and businesses that allow the location of a mobile phone to be pinpointed; however that would be no good as she wouldn't have a clue what a phone was doing in her handbag, and probably lose it - quite apart from problems of ensuring it was always charged. In the US they have systems like

I can't find any evidence these exist in the UK.

I'm also aware of tracker systems which enable the police to locate stolen vehicles; presumably these use just the sort of technology I'm looking for?

Any thoughts on this would be really welcome as this situation is very distressing.

Many thanks David

[Andy Hall]

There's an experiment for tagging crims out on license etc. from the pokey which uses a GPS and transmitter.

could make enquiries and see who the manufacturer is. Obviously any of these things require a monitoring service.

Did you try the Alzheimers Society and see if they know of anything?

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Suz]

removed. I think this would be far too intrusive and upsetting for the person. What about a medical bracelet with contact details? Would help a bit.

Suzanne

[nospam]

Something like that would probably be suitable. However most of the current devices are bulky and may be difficult for an elderly person to carry around. However there are smaller devices coming on to the market all the time.

A number of companies deal with security tagging: Try On Guard Plus, Reliance, and Securicor to name but a few. I would imaging that any solution like this would be very expensive.

M.

[Andrew Gabriel]

There's a sentence or two about it in yesterday's Computer Weekly. I think it said the unit was basically a mobile phone linked to a GPS. (I thought GPS only worked when you were outdoors with a good view of the sky?)

[Andrew L]

That's correct, but a mobile can be used in urban areas by determining the nearest cell sites and a bit of 3D trig. In remoter areas where the density of cell sites are lower then GPS can be used.

[Owain]

"Lobster" wrote | An elderly relative suffers from Alzheimer's disease and is prone | to wandering off without warning from her old folks' home and | getting lost.

This is a fault of the home not the patient; they should have their doors fitted with alarms/monitors so they know when someone is slipping out of a fire exit, and the main extrance should be appropriately supervised so that people don't wander away unnoticed. AFAIK there are special registration requirements for homes for the elderly confused, and it may be that the relative is in an inappropriate establishment.

| Does anyone know of a way that she could in some way be 'bugged' | so that when this happens again, her location could be determined | quickly enabling her to be found promptly and returned home safely?

Anything worn on the patient is likely to be disabled or removed by the patient.

Owain

[Lobster]

Thanks, it appears to be an outfit called Reliance (I see mentioned by another poster actually) and I've contacted them to see if they can help

Yes - but their focus seem to be on getting relatives to understand why patients wander (and thereby stop them) - ie prevention rather than cure. They did point me at one company who make devices which raise the alarm if a patient moves outside a prescribed area, which we have already rejected for various reasons.

There seem to be plenty of devices available in the US but not over here; whether this is just the UK lagging behind technologically-wise I don't know; however I think there are also ethical / civil liberties issues here as well which have yet to be addressed.

Thanks David

[Andy Hall]

I wasn't talking so much about the specific device but more the technology and infrastructure to monitor it.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[MBQ]

I sure you can get system for kids which give an alarm when the kid wanders off a certain distance from the base unit but I don't believe thay have any location facility. Couple one of those with the things used for finding skiers in an avalanche may help in direction finding once you know she's wandered off.

MBQ

[Mike Halmarack]

I saw a young male adolescent sporting one of these new fangled tracking kits on TV recently. He seemed to be having to exert quite a lot of energy keeping his balance and looked quite contorted as a result. I'm sure I wouldn't wish any such apparatus on a frail old dear. Roll on effective cures and treatments for Alzheimer's. Meanwhile, transportation to a land of fluffy furniture and foam rubber buildings is in order. Save a place for me, I'll be there by and by.

[Janet Baraclough..]

The message from "Lobster" contains these words:

I would take this up urgently with the OFH; and the local council, which regulates standards there.

The OFH, like nursery schools, should be using some entrance security system which prevents unauthorised entry or exit by strangers or vulnerable people. The fact that A)your relative has escaped and B) the home has not dealt with the issue, is such a basic flaw in her care plan, it raises serious questions about the standard of other care she's getting there.

You should immediately check that staff monitor her intake at meals to make sure she is regularly eating enough food and drinking enough water. Lack of nutrition/dehydration can lead to restlessness and confusion, and make her more vulnerable to falls.

Janet.

[Owain]

wrote | A number of companies deal with security tagging: Try On Guard Plus, | Reliance, ^^^ not them, they have an unfortunate habit of losing people, the Scottish Exec has found :-)

Owain

[Owain]

"MBQ" wrote | I sure you can get system for kids which give an alarm when | the kid wanders off a certain distance from the base unit | but I don't believe thay have any location facility. Couple | one of those with the things used for finding skiers in an | avalanche

A St Bernard with the little barrel of brandy? The old dear's already confused, she doesn't need to be piddled as well as addled.

A dog might not be a bad idea though, they've usually got more sense than their owners.

Owain

[Owain]

"Mike Halmarack" wrote | Meanwhile, transportation to a land of fluffy furniture and | foam rubber buildings is in order.

The next Big Brother set?

Owain

[Mike Halmarack]

Brother? I have a brother?

[Peter Parry]

That is rather simplistic. Keeping people locked up all day is quite simple, lots of "care" homes specialise in it, Barlinnie and Dartmoor are two which come to mind.

Allowing people the freedom they want and making judgements which favour freedom over captivity involves taking risks. Establishments which make a balanced judgement to favour that freedom deserve support not "report them to the council and make them lock everyone in because they are probably starving them as well ".

[Mike]

My employer has been involved with two devices that may meet your needs:

Not GPS but is available in John Lewis.

http://www.> Andrew Gabriel wrote:

[Peter Balcombe]

There are important legal questions to be addressed which give particular problems where a home is dealing with a mixture of confused and less confused individuals. If in a few years time I happened to be in the same home as your relative but not suffering from Alzheimars and was capable of safely exiting to the wider world I should take grave exception to any restriction on my proper liberty to do so. Current law reflects the rightness of this perspective. Therefore the home regime has to do it's best to embrace conflicting needs and inevitably there will always be a degree of risk in such situations - the important thing is that that the risks are calculated and minimised - they cannot be eliminated.

[Janet Baraclough..]

The message from Peter Parry contains these words:

Garbled rubbish. With such low comprehension skills, you probably didn't grasp the significance of "Alzheimers" in the OP.

Janet.

Janet.