There are in excess of 24.3 million people worldwide diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease alone this is estimated to increase 3 fold by 2030. In the UK alone, there are over 0.5 million people with Alzheimer’s. This is projected to grow to 1.5 million by 2030. Wandering is the most life-threatening behavior associated with people who have Alzheimer’s. There are approximately 36,000 Alzheimer’s patients who walk away from private homes and professional care facilities each year according to the National Alzheimer’s Association. The survival rate of a person with Alzheimer’s, in good physical condition, that is missing up to 24 hours is 50%. After 24 hours they will usually be severely injured or dead.
In the UK, there are over 200,000 people with Autism. It is one of the UK’s and is actually America’s fastest growing development disability. It occurs in 1 in 150 births and lasts a lifetime. People with Autism may have up to seven times more contacts with emergency services and law enforcement in their lifetime, many of them for wandering. Autistic individuals who wander put themselves at risk because they often seek water, attempt entries, and run into traffic.
Use of the Location Based Services and products from AMI will provide an individual with proven technology that will enable them to be located significantly faster should they wander or become lost.
If older people get confused and wander off it can put them in danger and cause a huge amount of distress and worry for their family. Tracking or Tagging as referred to could potentially allow people with dementia the chance to retain their freedom and help to keep them safe at the same time. There has been immense press coverage of utilizing technology and tracking for sufferers and their carers illustrating the obvious plus points and people’s concerns regarding a supposed infringement of the individuals civil liberties, however opinion published from carers and the sufferers themselves always come down on the side of prevention and cure as opposed to upsetting ones civil liberties. The following are extracts from “Talking Point” an online community for carers and relatives of family or related sufferers of Alzheimers.
“This is my first attempt at posting a message on this board. My mum had Alzheimer's and she died two years ago. I remember how quickly she could disappear and there were a couple of very worrying times when she went out of the front door and was nowhere in sight. I think some form of electronic tagging would be very useful to give the carer peace of mind, I'm sure there is the technology for the tag to simply signal the carer when the person is moving away from them and this would be a great aid when shopping or when the person is likely to open the front door.”
I'm sure you're right. We've discussed ET on the site before. The only problem seems to be the infringement of civil liberties. It's OK if the person agrees to wear one, but many are beyond the stage where they would understand the need, so would the consent be valid? I know when John was at home and walking freely, I would have been glad of such a device, I could never relax when he was out of the house.
We've tried using tracking devices and find that patients can be completely aware of the issues and still judge that they would rather be tracked. In our experience, they are used to enhance rather than restrict freedom.
My Mum does not require tagging as she is in a secure home but if anything is attached to her...watches,rings etc she always manages to remove them and we never see them again. A wrist tagging system would have to be very secure to resist her tampering. What about an electronic chip like we can have put in our dogs? What good is protecting someones civil rights if they end up under a bus having wandered off?
Its a valid point to discuss the civil liberties but I feel that when a person is no longer able to make decisions for themselves you just have to bite the bullet and decide the best action for them. The one thing my mum never lost was her smile. She carried us without knowing it throughout the worst times. Keep things in perspective and keep your sense of humour - that’s the best advice I can give to anyone dealing with this now.
The list of quotations from people affected from these debilitating diseases is endless and clearly demonstrates an immediate need for an effective tracking and recovery service. Tracking or Tagging as it referred to by the many can be an extreemly effective solution to many individuals and their carers or families and in some cases even "Life Saving".
AMI are shortly going to launch their tracking service for this high risk category, if you are a sufferer, family member or carer who would like further information prior to launch or indeed would like to participate in our pre launch trials please complete the form below and one of our staff will contact you by return.
A friend of mine with Alzheimer's wandered off and was killed in an accident on the main road, what was that about civil liberty? The tagging system in use by courts is waterproof and requires a determined effort to remove - a similar system could be of great benefit to carers and would ensure the safety of sufferers.
I am 78 years of age and enjoy a very full and active life. I am in a position to say that I would welcome the use of a tag on me should it ever be needed. I accept there may be some negative aspects but the plusses outweigh any negatives. Ask us oldies about these issues while we are still in a position to make our own valued judgments. And forget the advice of the "Do Gooders" of this world
This is not the right solution in every case, but it must be a relief to some families and their loved ones who get disorientated and into dangerous situations - and it is preferable to committing such unfortunate folk to care homes who are not designed for dementia and force anyone showing strong signs of it to leave. I sometimes wonder if their attitudes do not aggravate the problem - is tagging "worse"?
When Mum lived with us I had to keep doors and windows locked and the keys hidden as we lived in a busy city. As a country woman she loved to walk and this put her in real danger. Imagine trying to also bring up two little girls (aged 2 & 5) in these surroundings. A tagging device would certainly have helped - and maybe Mum wouldn't have been so frustrated by her restrictions.
As a retired trained nurse I privately nursed a patient in her own home (on a farm) and daily, as I left the room to make her morning coffee she, (the lovely lady) would go at quite a speed down the farm's lane with me running after her. So, yes I think the idea of a 'tracking' device would be very helpful. Please leave the word 'tagging' for prisoners.
My Gran suffered from dementia and in the period when we just couldn't get anyone to listen or help she used to wander off and not have a clue where she was. It was a nightmare. Tagging, if policed properly, is a wonderful idea and will heighten the safety of this so very vulnerable group.
My Grandmother, who is 85, suffers with dementia and wanders off if she gets the opportunity. It does get very frightening for family members when she goes missing. Although she does have day care, she will still wander as she can't be supervised 24 hours a day. Electronic tagging in this circumstance would be incredibly helpful. I appreciate that this could be seen as an infringement of her human rights, but her safety at the end of the day is the most important thing.
My Father had Alzheimer's and passed away 5 years ago. He went "wandering" several times. My parents live in north London and my dad was once found in Kent. To this day we don't know how he managed that. I think tagging is a fantastic idea, I remember how panicked, fearful and worried my family were when he disappeared, having to call the police etc.
A tagging system would certainly reassure the families and carers of an Alzheimer's sufferer. How well it would work in practical terms for the person concerned will be variable. My Mum, who has Alzheimer's, is now in a home but her reaction to anything new (such as a plaster cast when she broke her arm) was to try to rip it off, as she couldn't understand it's purpose. It might work for some, but not for all.
My Father had Alzheimer's and it runs in the family so there is a chance I will get it. I would certainly be in favour of having one on my person if I did eventually contract the disease. I am 53 years old at present.
My father who sadly passed away in 2004 had Alzheimer's and would sometimes go out by himself, which was very worrying for all of us. Tagging him wouldn't have solved the problem however, it would have given us reassurance that we could find him if he did get out. I think it is a good idea.
My late Mother in Law had Alzheimer's and wandered, electronic tagging would have saved family members a great deal of worry as she regularly disappeared and was brought home by the police on a number of occasion and once by Blackpool Corporation as she had got on a bus.