Indiana lawmakers study GPS person tracking for dementia

INDIANAPOLIS – A committee of Legislators will examine whether GPS tracking systems – similar to those used to monitor criminals on home detention or free moving confinement – should be used for adults with dementia or other conditions that make them prone to wandering. Click the above link for the full story;

The question grew out of legislation passed this year that created a Silver Alert system involving the public in finding missing, endangered adults or the elderly with diminished mental capacity.
“There was a lot of concern by state police and broadcasters about how often there would be a Silver Alert,” said Michael Sullivan, director of public policy and advocacy for the Alzheimer's Association Greater Indiana chapter.

That's why lawmakers added language to the bill calling for the study of whether to require electronic monitoring of some adults, he said.

If you don’t know or have not heard of the Silver Alert System here is a brief of what it is about;
To help protect an increasing number of citizens with cognitive impairments who are lost, several states have initiated “Silver Alert” programs. Silver Alert programs are modeled after the Amber Alert programs now present in all 50 states. The Amber Alert programs can quickly distribute information about missing persons to law enforcement, radio, and television stations. It is designed to alert the public and law enforcement agencies so that citizens can be on the look out for missing adults. While the Amber Alert programs are targeted at getting information quickly disseminated about children, Silver Alert programs are targeted for adults with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Join in on the discussion of this topic. Will the addition of using GPS monitoring of the elderly be of benefit to the Silver Alert System? I for one think it’s a no brainer, to have technology assist in these types of cases should help bring them home safely by using an electronic fence to be notified when a person wanders out of a specified area, so the search can began knowing their last known location. Sphere: Related Content