Global Positioning System (GPS) technology may offer help and peace of mind to those caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

 

Wandering: a Major Problem in People With Alzheimer’s

Wandering is a potentially life-threatening and frighteningly common behavior seen in Alzheimer’s patients. About 60% of all patients with Alzheimer’s will wander at some point during the course of their disease. Of these, up to 50% will die if they are not found within 24 hours.

Memory loss, sleep disturbance, and erosion of language seem to contribute to wandering. Other causes include restlessness, stress, and medication side effects.

What Can Be Done for Wanderers?

The US Department of Justice partnered with the National Alzheimer’s Association to create Safe Return. This is an identification program that unites Alzheimer’s disease wanderers with their loved ones. For a fee, families can register a patient with Alzheimer’s. The patient’s name, photo, identifying characteristics, and emergency contacts are placed in a database. The patients wear an accessory—a pin, necklace, or bracelet—indicating that they are memory impaired. Then, if the patient is found wandering, a call can be placed to the 24-hour toll-free hotline listed on the Safe Return accessory. Local law enforcement agencies can then use this information to return the wanderers to their homes.

Another available option to keep an eye on wandering Alzheimer’s patients is to use personal locator devices that integrate GPS technology with mapping programs and digital wireless gadgets. These devices receive signals from satellites to tell users where on earth they are.

What Is GPS and How Does It Work?

GPS, formally known as the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System, was initiated in 1973 by the US Department of Defense (DOD) for navigation purposes. GPS continues to be operated and maintained by the DOD today, but receivers can be used by civilians and are being built into a variety of products. For example, OnStar uses GPS technology to help lost drivers figure out how to get where they need to go.

Through a network of 24 orbiting satellites, GPS units on the ground receive radio signals and compute the altitude, longitude, and latitude of the receiver within one-tenth of a mile. GPS receivers have become cheaper, smaller, and more accurate(making them more accessible.

How Can GPS Help Those With Alzheimer’s Disease?

Personal locator devices using GPS technology can be used to pinpoint the location of lost Alzheimer’s patients. For example, Applied Digital Solutions sells a device called the Digital Angel, which is worn as a watch and has a separate clip-on pager. Using GPS mapping software and cell phone networks, the Digital Angel alerts caretakers by e-mail (sent to a cell phone, personal computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), or text pager) when an Alzheimer’s patient has wandered out of a pre-designated area. Two other companies selling similar devices are SIDSA, based in Spain, and Secom, based in Japan.

Researchers at the University of Rochester are working on a hand held device called the Activity Compass. If the Activity Compass detects that an Alzheimer’s patient might be lost, it will actually prompt him or her to head home (pointing in the right direction), before sounding the alarm.

The advantages of using a GPS locator device over more traditional personal alert systems is that the user doesn’t have to activate it, and the technology works over a larger geographic area. The main disadvantage is cost.

The Bottom Line

Wandering is a serious problem for Alzheimer’s patients and their caretakers. There are a few simple measures that caretakers can follow, however, to help prevent wandering:

• Conceal or camouflage doors.
• Install locks, alarm systems, and wandering monitoring devices.
• Label doors to explain the purpose of each room and to discourage exit/entry. Use warning signs or symbols that say "Do Not Enter" or "No!"
• Try to identify when the patient is likely to wander and distract him or her with another activity at that time.
• Encourage activity that will relieve the patient’s anxiety.
• Reassure the patient that he or she is in the right place.

If you are a caretaker for an Alzheimer’s patient, registering him or her in the Safe Return program may be a great option for your peace of mind. But if you’d feel better being able to find exactly where your lost loved one is very quickly (and can afford the money to do so), you might want to consider purchasing a personal locator device that uses GPS technology.

One important note of caution: using GPS devices to track your loved ones is considered to be somewhat controversial. Be sure to talk with your loved one, his or her doctor, and other members of your family before making this decision.

RESOURCES:

Federal Aviation Administration: Satellite Navigation
http://gps.faa.gov

Global Positioning System
http://www.gps.gov/

National Alzheimer’s Association
http://www.alz.org

National Institute on Aging
http://www.nia.nih.gov/

University of Rochester
http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/kautz/ac/

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Alzheimer Society Canada
http://www.alzheimer.ca/

Public Health Agency of Canada
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca

References

Alzheimer’s disease information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/alzheimersdisease/alzheimersdisease.htm. Accessed March 17, 2008.

Managing problem behaviors in long-term care facilities. Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center website. Available at: http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/ . Accessed March 17, 2008.

2006 National Public Policy Program. Alzheimer's Association web site. Available at: http://www.alz.org/advocacy/2006program/5a.asp. Accessed March 17, 2008.

Safe return program highlights the dangers of alzheimer's disease and wandering. Alzheimer Support website.Available at: http://www.alzheimersupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/id/1903/searchtext/wandering. Accessed June 17, 2003.

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