Hello. We are looking for recommendations for a watch style tracker that works either independently or with a phone. My MIL is very mobile and fully ambulatory, with frontal lobe dementia. She wants her independence as much as possible. She just started in memory care, but she may be moved to assisted living because of her independence and strong physical state. We are concerned that she may slip away during group outings or even with us - she is quite sly. She escaped from the previous place by constantly watching the door and then made her move! She no longer has a cell phone because she never used it and she used her land phone to constantly call the police, Sheriff, county jail, and directory assistance. We would consider getting her another phone and either install a program, or get a watch device that coordinates with the phone. We tried a button device before but it was a struggle to get her to charge it. I think a wearable watch would be better. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Dementia is very unpredictable and you are better not expecting your MIL to "know" certain things. And thinking she should be allowed any type of freedom. From what you have written, she is pretty much into her Dementia and it will not get better. I think what she may need is a medication for anxiety.
Its no longer what MIL wants but what she needs.
If her MC can't handle various levels of ability, then she needs to be in one that can, but not AL.
No matter what type of tracker you look at there will be way that she will thwart it. (short of implanting a chip in her.)
You can get ones that will go in a shoe. She can remove shoes, or wander out at night. there are necklaces, bracelets all can be left behind or removed at any time.
Sadly, FTL Dementia has stolen much of that ☹️
She may however be able to roam independently in MC. Inside & outside (if a locked garden) or with supervision.
I think that's the key: if the boudaries/perimeter is set - is a good fit for their level of ability - a person can be independant WITHIN that area.
Eg Young children safe in their kindergarten playground with their Teacher to supervise.
However, letting those pre-schoolers loose in a big multi aged school ground would increase risk to them & add much stress to their caregivers.
I've written this many times on many threads.. my neighbour's Mother wandered one night. Maybe she rattled the door handle every night..? Only that one night she succeeded. Her freedom so short lived. Hit by on the main road. #family guilt
First, she was in AL, we had to move her as she was going outside and walking around, diving in dumpsters for treasures to bring back to her room. When we moved her she had over 200 shells, 50 sticks, lots of rocks and dead flowers, not to mention her treasures from the dumpsters.
Perhaps you need to look for another place for mom, one that has outside access of some type, honestly I wouldn't move her back to AL, she will escape and with FTD she could take a downward spiral at any time. My step-mother did.
Sending support your way.
An another note, there is outside access in MC - an interior courtyard. It has only been a few days, but I heard that she was utterly surprised when they took her there on the first day- she didn't know she was allowed to go outside. Last we hear, she had requested potato chips, was sippin on a Coke, and listening to music. Not a bad life!
My suggestion is to find a place where the living quarters are inside a much larger fenced area. I visited a place that had 3 houses plus 1 common use house, that together, were inside a single, completely fenced area. If the reason why she escapes is just to "not" be around people, something like this could work. However, if she escapes for the "thrill" of the escape, she needs to be in a locked down area.