Should We Track Alzheimer’s Patients Electronically?
A Guest Post by Mary Emma Allen
Should we use electronic tags or chips to help track people with Alzheimer’s or dementia who wander away and have no idea, or very little, about how to return? This controversial issue continues to make headlines.
The issue also draws mixed reactions from people who care for Alzheimer’s patients and those who don’t. Cries of “That’s inhumane!” and “Big Brother!” mix with “That will save my parent!”
I know what it’s like to have a family member disappear. Under diligent care, Mother cleverly escaped from me and from the nursing home. My aunt repeatedly wandered off when we had to go into the next room or were busy in the kitchen.
Their instincts seem attuned to knowing the minute they’re alone. They also are very astute about circumventing locks, hooks, and even key pads. Mother took a broom handle and lifted a hook off a latch we thought was beyond her reach. Then she escaped out into the darkness. (Fortunately my husband and I were watching that time.)
The Issue Makes News
The ABC Online (Australian Broadcasting Corp) published an article recently by Stephanie Kennedy, discussing the controversy over dementia tracking tags with information concerning both sides of the issue, as well as growing support in Great Britain for this concept.
On one hand there are caregivers who have had family members wander away, some even resulting in fatalities. On the other, you have people who feel this is an invasion of personal privacy or civil liberty. They even stage rallies and pickets to protest this “unfeeling” regard for the Alzheimer’s patient’s privacy. Yet we continue to read about people who wander off, many of whom aren’t found until it’s too late.
In the above ABC article, Marilyn Lovejoy said of her husband:
“He just used to leave the house and we didn’t have a clue where he was, and quite often he’d be gone for hours,” she said. “It would have stopped a lot of anxiety, us knowing where he was.”
Of course, there needs to be a balance between electronic devices used strictly for the unnecessary restriction of the patient and their use for the patient’s safety. The suggestion has been made that the matter of electronic tracking devices be discussed before the Alzheimer’s victim is afflicted so badly he/she can’t express their desires rationally. Family members also might want to discuss among themselves beforehand whether to use a tracking device with Mom or Dad.
What has been your experience with family members or your patients wandering? What is your opinion of these tracking devices? Discuss this issue with other caregivers at the AGIS forums here.
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen
(Mary Emma Allen cared for her mother and aunt during their journey through Alzheimer’s. She writes about this topic for print and online publications, including Alzheimer’s Notes at www.alzheimersnotes.com, and is author of When We Become the Parent to Our Parents. Mary also gives talks to groups about Alzheimer’s and caregiving. E-mail: me.allen[at]juno.com )
Filed under: Alzheimer's, Eldercare, Technology
I understand that some people will think that is inhumane to chip or track a loved one, however we have to look at the facts. The entire process of being able to track an Alzheimer’s patient will alleviate anxiety and worry for families. Losing an Alzheimer’s patient is the same as losing your child. I cannot begin to imagine the pain and the trauma the family as well as the patient has to go through when a loved one is lost. I am very lucky that my Grandmother was in a secure facility. Yes, she was in a locked unit. She was safe and we were able to rest easily knowing she wouldn’t get hurt or lost. Does that make my family or me inhumane? I think not.
Working with families with Alzheimer disease has given me an inside line on the anguish when people go missing. I have talked to one person whose mother, in mid-stage, wandered off six years ago and has never been found. I think that contrary to restricting the movements of people with geographic disorientation, a system that allows people to go on line and find them should they disappear, would actually allow more freedom for the person with the disease. Family members would be more at ease allowing them to go on walks, or runs, or down to the coffee shop on their own, and the person with the disease would not feel harrassed by well-meaning worriers. Wearing a watch or bracelet with a GPS locator would not be invasive. Could we also use this technology to get people out of the tight confines of a locked unit, facilitating greater roaming through the grounds of their home?
We have a powerpoint presentation on our web site that may be of interest to care facilities. It is entitled “Search is an Emergency” and outlines policy development to quickly locate nursing home residents who go missing. Look under ‘Materials for Professional Caregivers’ on www.alzheimercambridge.on.ca.