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By Greg Bartlett

Few incidents can be as saddening and frightening as discovering that a beloved parent or grandparent has developed Alzheimer’s disease. Families may feel helpless in the face of a disease whose progression seems to gradually steal the personality of their loved one. One way to reduce some of the anxiety associated with Alzheimer’s disease is to equip patients with a GPS tracker that will monitor their whereabouts when family can’t be with them.

A GPS tracker will send periodic signals from the transmitter, which is carried by the patient, to a receiving device. Location can be monitored in real time from home or office on a computer or reports of movement throughout the day can be printed as necessary. Many systems can also be programmed with a virtual fence around the perimeter of the patient’s home or property. When the perimeter is crossed, the GPS device will send an alert signal letting a family member know that help may be needed.

As many as sixty percent of Alzheimer’s patients will wander away from home and become lost at least once during the course of the disease and some will do so more than once. These situations cause immeasurable anxiety for both the patient and his or her family. With a GPS tracking device, the distress can be minimized since the person’s location is easily and quickly identified and he can be returned to his home with minimal effort.

Although Alzheimer’s patients have a tendency to remove unfamiliar items that have been attached to their clothing, families can overcome this problem by tucking a GPS tracker into a purse that is always carried or securing it inside an article of clothing where it won’t be noticed by the wearer. One innovative company is working to design shoes with built-in GPS devices. Since dressing is one of the last skills to be lost by a person with Alzheimer’s, a GPS tracker installed in his shoe would ensure that he has it with him at all times.

Alzheimer’s is a frightening disease because it forces people to face unknown circumstances and to watch someone they love lose the ability to function independently. Nothing can erase the grief that people experience as the spark and vitality that made a parent who they were slowly begins to be lost in the confusion of Alzheimer’s. However, GPS tracking can make the process a little easier by ensuring the safety of the patient and peace of mind for his or her family.