GPS tracker for someone who likes to walk but lives in resi care

[Jessicabrassica]

Dad has dementia and has almost no capacity but presents very competently. He lives in residential care in our village. He likes to walk. He has an account at the local shop where he likes to go and buy sweets and he comes round to visit us regularly which has been working well for a couple of years.
yesterday he decided to go for a nice country walk. One of my friends bumped in to him about 4 miles from home; he was lost and very tired but was able to call us so we could pick him up.

We have suggested a GPS tracker so that if he goes out again we are able to track his movements and if he gets lost or scared he can press a button and we can go and help him out.

The care home is concerned that if he is a risk going walking on his own, then he probably shouldn't be going out at all which would obviously be a deprivation of liberty and he would hate.

Has anyone managed to get care home support for managing the risks for a walker through a GPS or similar tracker.

many thanks

Oh dear, it's great that he likes to go out but he has to be safe and the home have a duty of care. Has he had a capacity assessment done, is he safe on his own, would he agree to a GPS tracker and what would happen if he had an accident. What sort of button could he press, would he understand when and how to use it and would he stay put while someone was on their way to get him back. I would discuss it with his doctor, the care home and ask them to assess his capacity and the risks. Would it be possible for him to go out with someone else, either family, a volunteer or someone from the home.

We had similar with our elderly neighbour, a GPS that I and another neighbour could look up on our phone or computer (relatives set it up but lived at a distance). It also had a panic button that called the phone set up for it. Thing is, if he's already getting lost then the tracker will say where he is but he's already vulnerable at that point, and will sadly go downhill in terms of knowing what to do to help himself in that situation as time goes on. It's hard to know when that point comes but we always worried more about our neighbour with hot summer days and dehydration so that may also be a risk to him.

Is also suggest seeing if someone can walk with him, either from the home or a regular volunteer from family out any charities that can help with those situations.

would definitely recommend this. I can't look after my kids and my papa around 70's at the same time. so I have to set up this device to whoever who's need it but most of the time I let my papa wear it since he has dementia and likes to always go out from home.

I had also a friend whose father has a dementia. She also uses GPS tracker to keep track on her father all the time. I thinks GPS now is also a big help especially the family who has this kind of situation.

This has recently been suggested for my mum who has Alzheimer's and lives in a care home (not the dementia unit yet though). There's one called a Pebble or similar which is v simple and via which you can also speak to the wearer. Mum's care home say they will need a DOLS but just specifically so the can check up on her with the GPS as that in itself is apparently an infringement.

Pebbell is good - I know a number of people who use it. Might be worth joining our group lots of practical and emotional help www.facebook.com/groups/dementiaconnection/