Fife Council’s Social Work Service, in partnership with NHS Fife and Fife Police, is trying out door monitoring and GPS tracking. John Honeyman, training and marketing adviser with Fife Telecare Programme, said: “Many people with dementia prefer to stay in their own home…many family carers fear their relative with dementia might become lost while enjoying a stroll outside or even leave their home during the night and go missing.” In an initiative supported by Fife Police, the first “safer walking” GPS (Global Positioning System) location sensing device has been issued to a Fife resident. Press release gives more information.
[Comment: Interesting job title – telecare needs more local marketing advisers – and note too, a press release based on a single user, but timed to coincide with Scotland’s Dementia Awareness Week this week.]
Dementia Pilot in Fife
I think it is positive to try out various solutions to enable those with mild dementia to continue living independently within their own home. The benefits of being able to take a stroll and continue to interact socially outside their home must surely help to manage/delay the progress of the condition and be better than containment/isolation, providing a good risk assessment has been undertaken and everyone has been included in the process.
These sort of devices have been around for some time in various forms and of course rely on the user remembering to wear/take it with them if they are living alone.
It would be good if some sort of larger trial is undertaken and evaluated. Carry on Fife.