Wander Alert : How can family members keep track of a loved one without impacting independence?

As a loved one ages, their personal safety is often our main concern. Wandering as mature adults is a very common occurrence regardless of a diagnosis, but knowing the best way to support is difficult.

There are a variety of wandering alert devices on the market, but many are restricted to being audible with the home or a certain radius of the home. Recently there have been many technology related developments in the area of home security, and one of those being Contact Sensors.  Contact Sensors are often used in securing windows and doors, when closed the two components of the sensors touch, and when apart they are separated triggering an alarm and mobile device notification.

Here are a few types of Contact Sensors, that can help with supporting a wandering loved one.

Products

• Aqara Door and Window Sensor  by Aqara (at Amazon.ca) is part of the Aqara smart home system. For the contact sensor to work, a Aqara hub must also be purchased separately and set up. The Aqara app must be downloaded on to your phone and you must be connected to a stable wifi connection to receive the notifications of when the sensor has been activated regardless of where you are.  The Aqara Door and Window Sensor costs about $26 (CAD), plus additional shipping fees and the Aqara Hub M1S costs about $75 (CAD), plus additional shipping.
• YoLink Smart Home Starter Kit by YoLink (at Amazon.ca) is similar to the Aqara Door and Window Sensor, but comes with a hub and includes four contact sensors. The YoLink Starter Kit dose not contain a siren, but will send a mobile notification when any of the sensors have been activated. The YoLink app must be downloaded on to your phone and you must be connected to a stable wifi connection to receive the notifications of when the sensor has been activated regardless of where you are.   This product costs around $120 (CAD), plus additional shipping fees.

The Alzheimer's Association also provides a useful guide of strategies to prevent wandering. You might also be interested in reading more Ability411 articles on wandering.

Depending on your location within BC, you might also be interested in exploring options with Project Lifesaver - a community based, public safety, non-profit organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue, and caregivers with a program designed to protect, and when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering. There are local chapters in Greater Victoria, Nanaimo, and Surrey.