Best trackers for lost loved ones with dementia

The thing I learned is that my partner has been seething under the surge for months & plotted an escape for himself. He doesn’t WANT to follow rules. He wants to be free. I don’t know what we will do now but I learned to stop seeing the Alzheimer’s & saw the man he used to be. I need to honor that man more & boss him around less.

Good for you, Bonnie48! Best wishes to you and your partner!

I am brand new here. Hello to all! My husband has what's probably vascular dementia.
I so know about keeping an eye on him wherever we go.
He is still "well" enough he doesn't realize the many problems he has. Doesn't believe he has a disability. Yet needs help with almost everything. Says "I'm not a baby" when I'm concerned about where he's going in a
store, etc. I just follow him. I too would like to find an ideal tracker. I use an android phone.
Thank you!

Hello @barbieann1951. And welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! You’re in the right place to get help and answers. There were several suggestions here.
You said your husband ‘probably’ has vascular dementia—has he been diagnosed? How did you two react?

I used an Air Tag that fit into a silicone band that looked like a watch wrist band. My husband was used to wearing a watch however could no longer tell time on watch face whether clock or digital. Using my iPhone and Find My, I was able to track his progress on walking trails and could also be notified by sound when Left Behind when with me and he wandered away. The closure was difficult for him to understand how to remove it as the end was tucked through a slot and lay inside the wrist band (see photo). It was on except during showering which I helped him with and was one of the most helpful items I had purchased to address his safety. I do not recall where I purchased it from but have included pictures.

Great idea. I recently purchased an airtag that went into a small case that I clipped to his belt loop. He lost it in the airport. So having a wrist band is a great idea. I assume it can be purchased on Amazon?
Thanks for the idea.

@nitak, where did you purchase the silcone band?

Welcome, @nadkisson. I look forward to learning more about you. Are you caring for your partner? Parent? How are you doing?

Thank you. Yes, I am caring for my husband (soon to be 77) who was diagnosed with Dementia about 6 months ago. He is taking Aricept at night. Seems to be stable. He is very forgetful and asks questions over and over (is that common)? Nothing seems to stick in his brain. When I talk about one of our friends/family members, he says, do I know them? He just does not remember them. Sad. He even asked me when and how we met. We have been together for almost 33 years. Even sadder for me.
I am a strong person and am committed to take care of him for as long as I can. The future seems to be unknow.
Thanks for being there. Nancy

The repetitive questions are very frustrating. On a 45 minute trip, my wife will ask where we are going more than 30 times, sometimes within 5 seconds of the previous. On rare occasions when we are with our children or grandchildren she will ask them questions over and over again, in exactly the sale cadence and tone, as she does during our time with me at home, from which there is no relief, as her paranoia requires that I be within her sight and reach every waking minute. If not, she panics and is subject to tachycardia and dysphasia. No one ever mentions to her that they have answered the same questions hundreds of times, they just prefer to spend less time with us because it's so uncomfortable for them. Institutionalizing is not an option because she would not tolerate it. Caregiver support groups, in person, are helpful if you can find a way to arrange it. My heart aches for you because I know what you are going through. I find solace in my religious faith. Prayer and meditation keep me going.

in reply to @chris20 You know, my brother in law has dementia, and my sister's keys went missing for two weeks. She thought my brother-in-law had thrown out the keys..."it happens. " She has some kind of "card" in her wallet that uses an app on her iPhone to help find lost objects. It is akin to a credit card. Her son recently came over and they were able to discover that she had left her keys in the mailbox, and someone turned them into the HOA where she lives. The "card" was able to track the keys to the HOA office. Would something like this be of benefit to you?