New Technology Immediately Locates Individuals With Dementia Or Alzheimer’s Who Wander

June 7, 2010 - PRLog -- An unfortunate reality for individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s and their caregivers is the constant threat of wandering.  Alzheimer's can erase a person's memory of familiar surroundings and make it extremely difficult to adapt to new surroundings. As a result, people who have Alzheimer's may wander away from their homes or care centers and turn up lost, frightened and disoriented.  Sometimes, they are found far from where they started.

When an individual with Alzheimer’s does wander, it is often very difficult for caregivers to find them.  According to the Alzheimer's Association more than 60 percent of people who have Alzheimer's wander at some point.  The search process often involves caregivers, local communities, and the police.  Sometimes there is assistance from a radio frequency if the wandering individual is wearing a wrist or ankle device; however this still does not pin point where an individual is at any given time, and the frequency only works within reach of the radio antenna.  This set of circumstances often results in a long and frustrating search, one where time is critical.

MobileAlert, a Connecticut based company, has developed a solution to this frightening experience.  Introducing the LovedOneLocator™ - the first pendant style GPS locator with 2-way voice communication, and 24/7 monitoring.  The LovedOneLocator™ has an unlimited range, so it can be worn anywhere in the country.  Also, there is an SOS button that, when pushed, sends an alert to caregivers, and to the monitoring station, letting them know of the individual’s exact location.  Most importantly for individuals who may be a wander risk, the LovedOneLocator™ has Geo-fencing capabilities, which means that geographical boundaries can be set.  When the person wearing the device breaches the set boundaries, caregivers are instantly notified and are able to act immediately.

“When you think about the process of having to find someone who wanders, when you don’t know where they are or where they could be headed, the LovedOneLocator is truly a game changer,” says Jon Sullivan, Co-Founder of MobileAlert.  “Preventing someone with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or a child with autism, from wandering can be difficult because you never know when they will just take off.  Now, families and caregivers can have piece of mind that if their loved one does wander, they can be found immediately.”

The LovedOneLocator™ is also monitored 24/7 by a monitoring station that is 100% staffed by EMT’s.  “We feel that it is important to have medical professionals responding to SOS calls or Geo-fence breaches,” says Sullivan.  “The monitoring station understands the issues around wandering and elopement, and they will also assist caregivers during the active search by guiding them to the location of the wandering individual.  Time is critical, and the LovedOneLocator™ ensures immediate action.”

MobileAlert is a US based distributor and manufacturer of easy-to-use mobile health technologies. The products and services offered by MobileAlert include body-worn GPS devices, software to provide visual tracking for these devices, and related accessories.  For questions regarding MobileAlert, or the LovedOneLocator™ please contact Sean O’Brien at 203-537-2405 / sobrien@mobilealertgps.com.

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About MobileAlert: MobileAlert is a US based distributor and manufacturer of easy-to-use mobile health technologies. The products and services offered by MobileAlert include body-worn GPS devices, software to provide visual tracking for these devices, and related accessories