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Electronic tracking for people with dementia who get lost outside the home: a study of the experience of familial carers
- Authors:
- WHITE Eleanor Bantry, MONTGOMERY Paul, MCSHANE Rupert
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(4), April 2010, pp.152-158.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Approximately 40% of people with dementia wander from their home and become lost on at least 1 occasion and 5% repeatedly get lost. Global positioning system (GPS) tracking provides a possible means of locating the lost person with dementia, but throws up several ethical issues. This small study aimed to elicit a description of how GPS tracking is used by familial carers of people with dementia in domestic settings and to generate hypotheses about usage and impact. The sample was recruited through a single commercial GPS device provider. Qualitative interviews with 10 carers were completed to generate an in-depth description of how the devices were used and the perceived impact. The findings showed that most carers preferred to use tracking as a back-up to other strategies of management, particularly supervision by a carer and locked doors. In cases where the carers perceived the risk of harm from getting lost to be low, tracking was used to preserve the independence of the person with dementia. The carers reported that tracking gave them reassurance and also enhanced the sense of independence both for themselves and for the person with dementia. The poor reliability of the device was identified as a substantial limitation. The article concludes that larger studies are needed to assess the safety and clinical value of GPS tracking, and these should explore the views of people with dementia. Assessment tools and occupational therapy support could assist carers in decisions about suitability and usage.
GPS tracking for people with dementia
- Authors:
- MCSHANE Rupert, SKELT Lindsey
- Journal article citation:
- Working with Older People, 13(3), September 2009, pp.34-37.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
A GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) tracking device works by locating the person via satellite and then sending the information via a mobile phone network to a mobile phone, personal computer or call centre. The potential application of GPS tracking systems to monitor the movements of people with dementia, including the pros and cons of tracking devices, is explored in this article. A pilot observational study was conducted at Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Foundation Trust to assess how GPS technology could be used in dementia, looking at benefits for carers and factors related to managing the technology, and to inform future studies on usage and impact. The findings were that GPS tracking provides new and novel means of locating people with dementia who get lost, but that there is limited evidence as to its effectiveness, and further research is needed to explore patients’ view of the technology, the potential to reduce admissions to care homes, whether search time is reduced if the person is lost, whether there is increased risk due to false sense of security because of the device, and the outcome for carers and their perceptions.