Using technology to help find missing loved ones

There are best practices and technological help available for families to keep track of family members suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Margaret Gallaway’s story has sparked worry among people who have loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s.

The 80-year-old is now back in the loving arms of her family after walking away and going missing for nearly a week.

She is non-verbal, suffers from Alzheimer’s and was found inside of a garage in her Crown Pointe community, a neighborhood in East Naples.

One example of a helpful tool is a scent kit. Scent kits allow caregivers to keep an isolated scent of a loved one, and if they go missing, bloodhounds will have a single smell to track. This makes it much easier to find people who wander away.

However, Gallaway is the exception because she wandered away and wasn’t found for six days. Tuesday, she’s in the hospital but reunited with her family.

But for many others with any form of dementia, wandering away can be deadly.

WINK News spoke to Tara Jean-Baptiste, an Alzheimer’s and Dementia Community Teachings national trainer for Heart Body and Mind RN.

“You can walk into the kitchen to grab something you know to drink, be in there maybe 5, 10 minutes, you lose track of time, and then they’re gone,” said Jean-Baptiste.

For families with loved ones with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, they must keep a close eye on them.

“And when someone does wander, the scary part is, is it’s less than 30% of a chance of them coming back home safe and well,” said Jean Baptiste.

A Ring Doorbell saved Gallaway’s life when a Collier County deputy realized a flash of white was Gallaway before finding her in the garage, but Jean-Baptiste urges people towards GPS instead.

“They can come in a sleek little brace that looks similar to my watch, it can be a necklace, and that’s going to give you accurate points of where they are at all times,” said Jean-Baptiste.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has a GPS system through Project Lifesaver. Angela Larson told WINK News about the staggering search time results.

“Without the bracelet, it is eight hours; the average search time with the bracelet is about 30 minutes,” said Larson.

Another tip from Jean-Baptiste is to make sure your neighbors are aware of your loved one’s condition, having sensors or alarms on the door and limiting that individual’s wardrobe.

“So you want to have like three pairs of pants or three shirts and a bright pair of shoes that you rotate with,” said Jean-Baptiste, “so that if they do get outside, it’s much easier to remember what were they wearing that morning, you’re not trying to think of their whole closet.”

Those best practices help when searching for someone who’s walked away. The United Way Scent Kit is offered to those in Lee, Hendry and Glades County.

Charlotte County officials told WINK News they have a similar program.

For those in Collier County, the GPS bracelets are an option, as well as the care database– a log of information on your loved one for law enforcement only that can help cut down on search time.