People With Dementia To Be Fitted With Gps Tracking Devices,

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2317963/Barbaric-No-electronic-tags-godsend-Alzheimers-sufferers--carers.html

Is the fitting of electronic tags on dementia sufferers a good idea or is it barbaric?

[Sharingan]

You could begin a very slippery slope with the ' in their best interest' argument though Naomi. I think that needs using with care.

[DTCwordfan]

It's not for all dementia sufferers I hope as that would be invasive and "1984" - not all sufferers by any means go wandering. My mater for example is one - awful memory on what happened an hour ago. I took her shopping yesterday afternoon and then on to tea with two of her friends. We came out one and a half hours later and she had already forgotten that she had been to Sainsbury's and then to my sisters she moans that she hasn't been out for days - if she can remember their names - her grandchildren she has all forgotten.

However, a wanderer she is not - God help it if she was as this is seriously rural around here. One of my closest Uni friends (my 2nd family as I call them), well the Dad was the antithesis of my mater, could remember family names to up within two weeks of his death but a real wanderer, almost as bad as my mate's labrador. Top have a tag on him would make a lot of sense to cost and family worry.

However, there needs to be a clearly defined process of when and how these tags are fitted. They probably won't be in a mental state to make the decision on wearing such a tag, so in my view it is he/she with lasting PoA (power of attorney) and the local court who should play off with each other, perhaps working with the local dementia unit/specialist as the neutral for evidence in all of this.

[naomi24]

DT, of course we couldn't go tagging people without going through some sort of formal process, but in allowing those at risk who are potentially incapable of making an informed choice to make that choice, we would be abrogating our responsibility.

[DTCwordfan]

That's what I am saying, the "choice"or the decision has to be through the carers in most cases here - because of the sufferers' mental capability to make an informed decision or lack of it....I can foresee issues about these tags ending up being ripped off or put in the bath/shower but the technical challenge is another issue.

[ummmm]

DT, some people with dementia don't even know their own names, they can't make a choice.

[DTCwordfan]

that's what I have said. Read carefully.

[RATTER15]

Naomi, that is exactly what I have been saying, "if they are able to make informed choices" if they are not able to make informed choices then there would be somebody available to do that on their behalf. I thought I made that clear, well I tried.

Im more than happy for these devices to be fitted but after a due process and not fitted to any and everybody with a dementia.

[EDDIE51]

The home I worked in was classed as 'sheltered housing' but many of our residents needed far more care than we were able to provide. They come to a home like ours and are supposed to be able to care for themselves but with supervision when necessary.
Unfortunately such is the nature of dementia that some of them rapidly deteriorate to the point where they need constant 1 to 1 care.
In 'my' home there were 2 people who were so badly effected that they each needed 1 on 1 24/7 care. This meant that 50% of the staff were permanently occupied just on 2 out of 18 residents.
Lack of space in homes for ' high dependency' residents meant we had no choice but to do as best we could for them.
Cost is another factor, we charged £530 a week , but a high dependency 1 to 1 unit would charge £2000 to £5000 a week and funding was not available due to the spending cuts.

[Answerprancer]

I think they should be fitted with an exploding necklace that is secretly paired up with the necklace of another care home resident. So long as they stay within the 400 yard perimeter they will be safe. If they stray away from their 'partner' then...
beep..........beep............beep......beep...beep..beep **BANGGGG!**

[DaisyNonna]

The courts tag criminals. Parallel?
Privacy? Human Rights? Dignity?

[Answerprancer]

^ totally agree with this, hence my joke reply.

[Answerprancer]

It's gross, whatever next? ...tag them like dogs and cats?
These are people's Mums and Dads, some have probably seen all manner of horrific stuff in wars, may even be decorated or highly qualified or highly respected in other fields. Some may just be ordinary folk who have been around a long time. This is an advanced 1st world country, we should be able to deal with a few stray senior citizens without resorting to Orwellian sh1t like this.

[EDDIE51]

The tracking device is to enable them to be found if they wander off . It happens a lot with dementia sufferers.
It does not restrict where they go , just makes sure they can be found and returned home. Basic common sense .

[EDDIE51]

Answerprancer
Once people get into advanced dementia it is common that they do not get any visits from relatives. The relatives find it hard to cope and think ''why bother, they won't remember anyway'' Of the 18 residents in the home where I worked at least 6 never had a visit in the 2 years I was there, despite the fact that we knew they all had living and able bodied relatives close by. They may be 'someone's mum and dad' but unfortunately the kids too often do not want to know.

[ludwig]

Of course, bungee ropes would probably be cheaper.

[ChuckFickens]

Sorry AP.. but you seem to have little knowledge of advanced dementia. (Actually... I'm not sorry, you're lucky)

Yes, it's a good idea, you're not spying on somebody, you're keeping an eye on a person that has no freaking idea what they are doing and you're doing it for their own good.

dementia is a really scary thing to see anyone go through.

[ludwig]

Yeah AP, if you've ever had to wander through a field at 3 in the morning shouting 'MUM!' at the top of your voice, you'd see things differently.

[ummmm]

Or when they've gone missing from their care home and you're driving around praying they remember how to cross a road.