According to research six out of ten people who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer's disease will wander at some point. When people who have dementia start to wander they could very quickly find themselves in a dangerous situation. They may stray into areas that are not safe, or they may be not dressed for the current weather conditions. Even though they are confused and unsure of where they are, they may be reluctant to ask for help out of embarrassment or fear. Due to this fact, it is important to find your loved ones before they get into a bad situation. Wearable technology like Toptraking's proactive Emergency and Monitoring Device, is the perfect solution when you need to be able to find or speak directly to those family members fast.

Why They Wander
People with dementia or Alzheimer's have a hard time knowing what time they are in. The past and the present get mixed together in their heads and they think events from the past are happening now, or that old routines are still happening. So someone with dementia may try to go to “work” by going back to a building or store where they used to work. Or they may go back to a house that they used to live in thinking they still live there. They may become confused by changing street signs and mass transit. They may also go to neighbor’s houses thinking old neighbors that moved away still live there. They won't recognize things like daytime or nighttime and won't realize that they need a coat if it's cold. That's why it's so important to track them down immediately when they wander. They are risk of being the victims of crime as well as becoming ill from exposure if they are not dressed properly for the weather.

How to Find Loved Ones that Wander 
Having family members that wander because of dementia is hard on the caregivers. But there are tools that you can use to prevent wandering and to find your loved ones before they get into any real trouble. Window and door alarms are great tools but, those won't stop the person from wandering but they will alert you that the person has left the house. To keep family members from wandering you can install slide bolt locks at the very top or the very bottom of doors keeping them out of sight will keep your family members from unlocking them. You can also put curtains over a door to make it look like a window or paint the door the same color as the walls so the door is less obvious. These are all tactics you can use, however, these tactics also tend to make family members feel as if their loved ones have become a prisoner inside their own homes. Additionally, if they do manage to leave the house after all of the various barricades you’ve placed, how do you know where they are once they've left their home?

Use GPS To Find Them if They Get Out
Despite your efforts if they do wander you would be able to find them quickly if they are wearing a GPS device such as Toptraking's alarm device. This solution has GPS tracking imbedded in the device which allows the GPS tracker to work off cellular data (just like a mobile phone), so you can find your loved one anywhere. It can also send you an alert you should your loved one leave their home by creating boundary alerts that will automatically send you a text message letting you know they have left their home and/or boundary you have set. Your family member can call for help with the touch of a button and their 24/7 monitoring team will assess the situation and let you know if they’ve sent medical help and/or where your loved one is and where to find them so you can pick them up. In addition, you also have the ability to log in to the Toptraking GPS Tracking System with your smart phone, tablet or computer and instantly locate your family member, set up reminders, set new boundaries, as well as change any information you need to.

If you or someone you love would like to know more about Toptraking's new technology assisting the elderly and those who suffer from Alzheimer's & Dementia – contact us. We're currently taking pre-orders in overseas markets so let us know if you’d like to be pre-order yours today!!