Dementia is one of the biggest medical concerns among the aging population in the United States.
According to a recent study, over six million Americans suffer from dementia. The condition presents a range of symptoms that manifest in progressive cognitive decline.
Memory loss and reduced efficiency with daily tasks are usually the early warning signs of dementia. Individuals may lose the ability to think and communicate coherently as the condition progresses, eventually impacting their overall quality of life.
As memory loss is a signature symptom of dementia, one effective intervention is getting a patient a GPS tracking device. A GPS tracker enables you to keep tabs on the wearer’s physical location and medical state.
However, dementia isn’t the only condition that warrants a GPS device.
Read below as we enumerate other scenarios where that special old timer in your life may benefit from a GPS tracker.
Situations That Warrant A GPS Tracker for Your Senior
1. Progressive Cognitive Decline
Age-related cognitive decline is inevitable. But when the condition sets in, you can manage it effectively using a GPS tracker.
As mentioned, dementia accounts for the majority of age-related memory loss. The condition presents in various forms, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
However, the primary symptoms are identical across the spectrum.
You’ll know a senior requires a GPS tracker if they’re suddenly unable to recall familiar faces, places, or objects. Other indicators include frequent wandering and getting lost.
Note that GPS trackers come in multiple forms, each designed for specific applications. The best type to get for your senior family member is those integrated into medical alert systems.
Life Assure GPS tracker for elderly offers one of the most effective devices for seniors.
It includes a Help button that a user hits to summon emergency assistance, with a detection range of up to 600 feet from the base unit.
Life Assure’s GPS tracker is water-resistant, allowing your senior to wear it to the bathroom or swimming pool.
2. Impaired Mobility
Many seniors suffer from physically debilitating illnesses that affect their balance and increase the risk of falls. Noteworthy mentions include osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
Getting your elderly loved one a GPS tracker enables you to monitor their physical condition remotely.
Besides an emergency alert button, model GPS tracking devices are equipped with sensors that utilize powerful fall detection algorithms.
The trackers use orientation-based and ambient-based sensors to provide invaluable insights into a senior’s physical position and general environment, respectively.
3. Chronic Illnesses
Numerous chronic diseases mark old age.
Some illnesses, such as a heart attack, can strike unexpectedly and trigger life-threatening emergencies. Others, like urinary incontinence (UI), are manageable, but may also present worrying symptoms from time to time.
Wearing a medical alert system with a GPS tracker can help you monitor various chronic illnesses. It provides a quick way to request medical assistance when the wearer is unable to do so themselves.
Besides, you could rely on a medical alert GPS tracking device to help your elderly loved ones stay on top of their medication. This can be significant, especially for seniors with progressive diseases that require active management.
GPS trackers may also be invaluable during postsurgical recovery. The device lets you track a senior’s recovery process, ensuring any complications are immediately attended to.
4. Reduced Efficiency With ADLs
Activities of daily living (ADL) refer to personal care tasks like eating, bathing, dressing, transferring, and toileting.
Numerous old age diseases can cause a senior to lose their ability to perform daily activities.
For instance, urinary incontinence impairs an individual’s ability to hold their bladder long enough. Therefore, it directly affects toileting.
Physically impaired seniors may equally struggle with transferring, while those with acute memory loss can easily wander into dangerous areas.
Investing in a medical alert system equipped with a GPS tracking device is the surest way to manage such conditions. With these trackers, you can remotely monitor a senior’s eating, bathing, and toileting schedules and make the necessary arrangements.
What Constitutes The Perfect GPS Tracking Device?
As GPS trackers for the elderly are typically integrated into medical alert systems, choosing these products calls for a wholesome approach.
First, determine that your senior loved one requires a GPS tracker. That requires watching out for early warning symptoms of physical or mental disabilities.
Don’t wait until a senior’s condition has degenerated severely. Instead, go shopping for a GPS tracker at the first signs of trouble.
Early intervention not only helps to manage a senior’s disease more effectively. It also provides the intended GPS wearer with more time to become comfortable with the device.
After determining your vulnerable senior requires a medical alert system with a GPS tracker, consider the following aspects when shopping for the right device;
1. GPS Integration
Not all medical alert systems have GPS trackers. Therefore, the first step is to establish if the gadget is GPS-enabled.
Read the product description carefully and make necessary inquiries before purchasing a GPS-integrated medical alert system. Besides, you could invest in online reviews to learn more about the device’s tracking capabilities.
2. Fall Detection
Many common diseases in the elderly can lead to falls. Despite the severity, every fall is a medical emergency worth responding to.
Choosing a medical alert system with fall detection can help avert potentially life-threatening falls.
3. Ease of Use
A medical alert system should be incredibly user-friendly—Shun devices with sophisticated interfaces.
Ideally, a single press of the ‘Help’ button should be all it takes for the wearer to summon help.
4. Longer Range and Cellular Connectivity
Some medical alert systems with GPS trackers are designed for home use, whereas others support free roaming.
At-home devices should enable detection from at least 600 feet from the base unit.
Meanwhile, On-the-Go alert systems should be lightweight, water-resistant, and powered by cellular networks for seamless tracking.
Conclusion
Age-related memory loss can cause seniors to wander into potentially dangerous environments, such as busy freeways or densely wooded forests. While dementia is largely inevitable, you can manage the condition by getting your senior family members a medical alert system equipped with a GPS tracking device.
GPS trackers enhance the safety of your vulnerable family members by pinpointing their spatial location in real time. Thanks to these innovative devices, you can go about your normal routines with the peace of mind that your senior family member will receive immediate and appropriate assistance during medical emergencies.
Medical alert systems with GPS trackers can be invaluable even for seniors with no memory loss. You could rely on the devices to monitor individuals with diminished mobility, those struggling with ADL, and seniors on medication for ongoing illnesses.
Bob Duncan is the lead writer and partner on ConversationsWithBianca.com. A passionate parent, he’s always excited to dive into the conversation about anything from parenting, food & drink, travel, to gifts & more!