Is There Cheap Tracker for My Dementia Grandpa?

tempura on 09/01/2019 - 12:07

As per the subject, do you have any suggestion or recommendation?

I was thinking something along like a simple tracker in his pocket or attached on his wrist or anywhere really in his body, so when I to a shopping mall, I be able to figure out where he is.

I'll always be on the same level with him and normally very very very close to him but just need that safety net, in case I lose track of him and he disappears or gone walkabout outside the mall (worst come to worst).

I've tried equipping him with a very simple mobile phone but he refuses to learn how to use the mobile phone.

Any input would be much appreciated.

I don't expect to blow budget for such app or gadget .. something really simple and cheap, just to track him, that's all.

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • JimmyF on 09/01/2019 - 12:15

    google GPS pet trackers and GPS kid trackers.

  • pao2x on 09/01/2019 - 12:24

    As far as I can see this is one of the best solutions. A bit pricey but highly useful.

    https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lynq-location-tracking-ev…

    Otherwise you can use tracking in google maps or find my friends in ios and a cheap phone w data

    • pjetson on 09/01/2019 - 12:34
      +2

      Seems to work only under the open sky, not indoors in a shopping mall.

      • pao2x on 09/01/2019 - 12:36

        Well there goes that plan.

        Most important thing is he has his medic alert bracelet w contact details

    • HighAndDry on 09/01/2019 - 12:56

      Yeah, GPS will work very sporadically, or not at all, indoors.

      But it would help OP if the grandpa manages to get out of the shopping mall, which is probably the bigger worry. Inside the mall there'll be people/security/etc to help if need be.

      • tempura on 09/01/2019 - 13:23

        I was just thinking about this; none will suit for indoor tracking like shopping mall i guess because all am going to see is the device flashing in Westfield building, however I won't be able to narrow it down more than that.

        It does help a lot if he wander outside. I need to think this through.

        • HighAndDry on 09/01/2019 - 13:28
          +2

          Indoors you can supplement the tracking with something like Tile:

          https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/products/pro

          Works via bluetooth to your phone, has only 90m range though.

        • Switchblade88 on 09/01/2019 - 13:45

          Don't necessarily underestimate the location tracking accuracy indoors. No GPS signal, yes, but with mobiles using public Wifi for location triangulation - even when you're not connected - then Google Maps might still be worthwhile.

          I'd have a Tile or similar BT tag alongside his medical tag/beeper, and then a phone you can easily ping with Find My Phone. He doesn't have to use it, just keep it with him.

          Next time you're out and about watch your location on Google Maps. many shopping centres now have indoor mapping available (with switchable floor levels) So if you can pinpoint your own phone's location to a high degree, then almost any other smartphone could do the same.

      • pao2x on 10/01/2019 - 12:40

        Google has good approximation of position based on wifi and towers. How else does google know which shops you have visited with alarming accuracy and asking for reviews and suchj? Its wifi based positioning is services is good

        • HighAndDry on 10/01/2019 - 13:07

          How else does google know which shops you have visited with alarming accuracy and asking for reviews and suchj?

          For shops inside a shopping centre? Definitely not via GPS/Wifi location only. Searches, payments, emailed invoices, etc?

  • sparkles on 09/01/2019 - 12:52

    My grandpa with dementia managed to get nearly 15km away on foot after leaving some time during the night. He was found much later the following day chilling in someones garden completely oblivious. It would have been very handy to track him via GPS but that didn't exist then. Hope you find a solution OP.

  • Ryanek on 09/01/2019 - 13:15
    +1

    You could get away with an old iPhone and find him through iCloud. It's not 100% accurate but it would be good to determine his immediate vicinity. It would also be free.

  • angusngon9 on 09/01/2019 - 14:08

    My grandpa got the same problem, and on top of that refuses to wear hearing aid, and decides a smartphone cannot be turned on unless he wants to make a call.
    I'm lost for ideas.

    • idonotknowwhy on 09/01/2019 - 15:10
      +2

      and decides a smartphone cannot be turned on unless he wants to make a call

      My grandmother was like this (with her non-smartphone mobile). Didn't want to drain the battery. That generation, growing up on rationed food, really hated any form of waste.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/01/2019 - 14:57

    Been looking into this myself the biggest problem is making sure the tracker goes with him. I don't know what the solution is.

    • chumlee on 09/01/2019 - 15:12
      +1

      Tattoo with address

  • myusername on 09/01/2019 - 15:54
    +1

    ball and chain, all the rage back in the convict days

    • tempura on 09/01/2019 - 18:08

      You noticed those Asians with leash on their kids? That would probably work in all honesty.

  • ozzie freddo on 09/01/2019 - 22:39

    Check out TicTockTrack. But not so cheap.

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