Archive for month: September, 2020
Compassion Fatigue – What is it?
Compassion fatigue is a well known occupational hazard for those in the caring profession. Read more
10 Wearable GPS Trackers for Seniors
GPS trackers help seniors and caregivers alike to help monitor and ensure safety for those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Wearable GPS trackers are designed for comfort, convenience, and emergency accessibility.
For seniors that may be prone to wandering, a GPS tracker can be a lifeline. Caregivers and loved ones can have peace of mind in knowing that a loved one can be quickly located independent of the police or Silver Alert Program. Some of the latest wearable GPS trackers are discrete or appear to be a normal fashion accessory.
GPS Tracker Considerations
- Monthly fees
Because GPS devices use cellular technology, there are usually costs associated beyond the unit itself. There are some no-fee trackers but are not as sophisticated in their tracking abilities. - Bundles Features
GPS watches, in particular, can double as fitness devices that provide health measurements. Safety features to consider include two-way calling, audio monitoring, and crucial SOS emergency buttons. - GPS Range
Need a GPS tracker can track nationwide? Then a wearable device may not be for you. Investigate more conventional GPS trackers with longer range tracking.
1. Dynotag Web/GPS Enabled Pendant
- Weatherproof stainless steel
- GPS enabled
- Lifetime subscription and storage included
- Stores your information
- Allows medical personnel to locate your home, even if you’re incapacitated
Price: $25.00
2. ERAY GPS Tracker Watch
- Affordable
- Durable aluminum alloy
- Accompanying app
- Make calls, live track individuals using the app, and send voice messages
- Requires SIM card
- Sleek design, complements clothing
Price: $26.99
3. Garmin vivofit Fitness Band
- Stylish design, different colors available, customizable
- Water-resistant
- Long battery life
- Doubles as a sleep monitor
- Track fitness levels, including steps, calories
Price: $56.78
4. GPS SmartSole
- Discreet, slips into your shoe
- Come in three different sizes
- Water-resistant design
Price: $299.99
5. JUNEO GPS Smart Watch Tracker
- Affordable
- Send messages without a complicated smartphone
- Made with environmentally friendly materials
- SOS button built-in
- Uses a GSM SIM card
- Accompanying app
- Alarm activated if the watch falls off
Price: $26.12
6. Medical Guardian Freedom Smartwatch
- GPS keeps you in range of emergency contacts (stored in the watch)
- Designed specifically for seniors
- Schedule medications, doctors appointments
- Simple text messaging
- Emergency SOS button
- Water-resistant design
- Touchscreen display
Price: $149.99
7. Mobvoi Ticwatch E Smartwatch
- Polycarbonate case with silicone band
- Fast charging
- Battery lasts up to 1.5 days
- Polycarbonate case
- Built-in 300 mAh battery
- Dustproof and water-resistant
- GPS monitors route, and can help seniors get around and find their way home if lost
Price: $129.99
8. MX-LOCare Personal GPS Safety Watch
- Installed SIM card works worldwide
- Service plans start at $24.99 a month
- Free iOS and Android smartphone app
- Geofence functionality
- Built-in listen-in mode allows you to hear audio around the watch – perfect for check ins
Price: $129.99
9. Padcod V16 Seniors Smart Watch
- T-Mobile micro SIM card
- Easy to read 1.22” OLED touchscreen large font display
- Front-facing camera with speaker
- Accurate GPS
- Monitors sleep
- Also serves as an altimeter, barometer, and thermometer
Price: $39.99
10. Invisawear Smart Jewelry
- Double press back side of charm to send a text message with GPS location to five people.
- Bluetooth Low Energy and free smartphone app
- Optional 9-1-1 feature to share location with 9-1-1 dispatchers during an emergency.
- Battery life is guaranteed to last up to one year but can last close to two years depending on the usage.
- No monthly fees or subscriptions, but when the battery dies, you need to purchase a replacement charm discounted at $65.
- A 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
- Other styles available on the Invisawear site
Price: $149.00
There are many other types of GPS trackers. In a future post, we’ll find some recommendations for more conventional and keychain devices.
In the meantime, please visit our Memory Care page to learn more about this living option at Cadbury Commons.
UPDATE: In our previous post, we featured the Samber GPS necklace, an item that was recently taken off Amazon in the US. A similar item under the name JINSERTA can be found at Dewpro.com.
Dementia and Dignity
Let’s be honest, people are terrified of dementia. We work hard to hide a dementia diagnosis behind a wall of silence built with bricks of fear, shame and stigma, much like we spoke about cancer 40 years ago (you know, the Big “C”, in hushed voices), But with cancer, something changed along the way. We learned to talk openly and acknowledge the human experience of living with and possibly dying from cancer, and eventually having cancer became a “courageous battle” instead of a shameful illness.
As with cancer, society needs to find a new way to talk about dementia. We tend to focus on the end-stage of the disease, conjuring up the image of a dying person who is now an “empty shell”. But dementia has a beginning and a middle, and it’s vital to remember that people are LIVING with dementia. Those with dementia struggle to be present in their lives, to work through the “fog”, to find humor in the scary and ugly moments, and to continue to live life and love to the fullest. It is a brave and serious fight. It is a DIGNIFIED fight.
So like with cancer, we need to change the image of someone with a dementia diagnosis. And as we did with cancer, we have to look dementia in the eye in order to understand empathically how a person lives and loves in the presence of this disease. It’s a challenge. It’s scary. And it’s what makes us human.
Learn more about Cadbury Commons’ Memory Care Neighborhood.
By Lisa Walts, MSW, LICSW – Social Worker at Cadbury Commons
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