Dementia Trackers

[Dementiashoe]

Hi
Does anyone have any experiences (good or bad) or recommendations?
Thanks

We tried to put them in DM's coat and handbag - she would spot them (even sewn into the hem) and throw them away as she didn't know what they were. So we didn't find them of much use. Always worth a try though

It’s difficult isn’t it! Most seem to need charging so how did you sew them in?

We never got the chance to really worry about that as she found it the first day! Never one for clutter my Mum and if she didn't know what it was - straight in the bin!

Marie Kondo had nothing on her!
Thanks for replying.

She was Marie Kondo before Marie Kondo was a glint in her father's eye!

Still doesn't help with your quest for a tracker - sorry!

No but it’s nice to know I’m not the only one struggling with it.

Get an Apple Air Tag. The batteries on those last 6 months

Yes, some are better than others. The first one I bought, although it came highly recommended, was rubbish and wouldn’t communicate with mobiles with Virgin SIM cards.

This I bought as a replacement - is much better.

With them all you can ring and have a conversation with the elderly person and they only have to press a button to talk. Equally in an emergency they only have to press a button.

If I want a whereabouts I simply dial the number and the GPS location is texted to my phone.

This one also comes with an app/website where you login and map shows you every journey travelled.

You can’t call Apple air tags, they’re trackers only.

Thanks all - @Mirabai how do you ensure you’re loved one takes it with them?

Apple AirTags won't work for this if your relative also has an iPhone. The AirTag "belongs" to the phone that can see it, and if it spends any notable amount to f time with another iPhone then it bleeds frequently to alert the user of the other phone. This is to stop them being used to track people without them knowing ...

We used a Yepzon tracker for my Mum. It was attached to her keys as she would always take them. It became very useful in locating her, only stopped using as she's now in a home.

We got my grandad into using an apple water. He was able to use it as a normal watch and my granny was able to see where he was (I think). Grandad liked technology before he got dementia though which might make the difference.

Apple watch* I think it was one with a SIM?

Depends what stage they’re at. If they still have their own keys you can attach it as a key ring. When my dad wasn’t safe with the house keys any more we attached it to his bike keys. When he wasn’t safe with his bike any more it met with an “accident” and we attached the device to his bike shed keys instead (which he liked to carry).

He’s now at a stage where he’s simply given the tracker when he goes out.

Thanks all, that’s really helpful.