What are location devices and ID?

A GPS tracker is a small device, often a watch, a pendant or something carried in a pocket, that shows where a person with dementia is if they wander. The National Institute on Aging says many GPS systems are available to track a person's location and can be a good alternative or addition to a medical ID bracelet. Battery life matters, since a device with a dead battery cannot help.

Combine identification with location tracking. The National Institute on Aging suggests an ID or medical bracelet with the person's name, address and your phone number, labels in clothing if they might remove the bracelet, and a GPS system to track location. It also suggests a safe return program such as MedicAlert + Alzheimer's Association Safe and Found, which may charge a fee, and telling neighbors and local police.

Put the person's name and address and your phone number on it, so whoever finds them can help them get home. The National Institute on Aging recommends that the person carry an ID or wear a medical bracelet with these details at all times. If they might take the bracelet off, label their clothes with a name and phone number too, and keep a recent photo ready for police.

Door alarms, pressure mats and simple visual cues can all help. The Alzheimer's Association suggests warning bells above doors or a monitoring device that signals when a door opens, a pressure-sensitive mat by the door or bed, deadbolts placed high or low, doorknob covers, doors painted the same color as the walls, and a black threshold strip in front of a door that may act as a visual stop.

They can help, but the evidence is still limited. A 2024 review in the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias found that location devices such as watches and pendants gave people more independence and eased caregivers' worry about them getting lost, but it found no randomized controlled trials. Short battery life, charging trouble and bulky designs were common complaints, and a removable device may be left behind.