By Attorney Liz Durnell
There are many technological advancements that may help caregivers care for their family members and also give the ill person a little more independence.
There are apps that can help track medications and there are message boards that family members can log onto to monitor their loved ones care and progress, but the best idea that I have heard of is Trackers. These are GPS trackers that help a caregiver monitor where a loved one with Alzheimer’s and dementia is now and where they have been. Below is an excerpt from an article discussing the “Trackers.”
Laura Jones of Lighthouse Point, Fla., says she was able to extend her husband’s independence for a year and a half by using a program called Comfort Zone.
“He was just 50 when he was diagnosed,” she said.
Jones said she went to work so he would continue to get insurance coverage.
“Day care was not appropriate, home care was not affordable,” she said. “Even when he stopped driving, he would ride his bike all over town, to the gym, for coffee, errands. He would take the dog for a walk and be out and about when he was alone and I was working.”
Using Comfort Zone, which is offered by the Alzheimer’s Association, she was able to go online and track exactly where he was and where he had been.
Her husband carried a GPS device, which sent a signal every five minutes. If Jones checked online every hour, she would see 12 points on a map revealing her husband’s travels. She would also get an alert if he left a designated area.
Eventually, the tracking revealed that Jones’ husband was getting lost.
“He would make a big funny loop off the usual route and we knew it was time to start locking down on him,” she said.
“Beleaguered Caregivers Getting Help from Apps” by Jim Fitzgerald from www.theage.com
If you or a loved one needs assistance, please contact one of the Elder Law Attorneys at Cooper, Adel & Associates to ensure that you have proper planning in place to protect a portion of their assets.
The post Caregivers Are Receiving Help from Technology appeared first on Cooper, Adel & Associates.
