Tracking devices using GPS (global positioning system) are assistive technologies that can help to promote safe walking by alerting caregivers when a person with dementia, Autism or Alzheimer's wanders outside of a defined area, plus providing the geographic coordinates of that person so they can be found more easily and quickly. Mobility and the freedom to walk outdoors are important for maintaining quality of life. Wandering can provide beneficial physical exercise, a sense of personal autonomy, and social contact. The involvement of people with dementia in activities outside of the home can also relieve some of the stress of their caregivers, but as their disease progresses and memory becomes impaired, people with dementia may become lost, even in familiar places. As a result, individuals with dementia can go missing or experience critical incidents when they leave home alone and are unable to find their way back.

People with memory loss may also become lost while driving or taking public transit — where a much larger territory may need to be covered in a search to find them. Those with dementia who wander are at increased risk of injury or death from traffic accidents, hypothermia, dehydration, falls, fractures, and drowning.

GPS Tracking Watches:

• May reduce the time required to find missing individuals with dementia or Autism and the costs associated with search and rescue operations.
• May increase the independence, autonomy, and freedom of some people with early- to moderate-stage dementia, and reduce caregiver anxiety and stress.
• May help caregivers and emergency responders to quickly locate and ensure the safety of people who wander.
• Make people with dementia feel more secure and allow them to be more independent.
• Provide reassurance and relieve caregiver anxiety. Wandering adds more confusion to the lives of those already dealing with a disorienting disease, and leads many people with Alzheimer’s or dementia into unsafe situations.