GPS Tracker for Seniors Who Wander

My dad has wandered off before. Many times.

Most times we find him in the yard or nearby in the neighborhood, since he’s not as limber as in his 60s.

If any of this rings a bell with you, think about getting some gear that keeps you in the know when your elderly family member wanders off, and you need to find them now.

I bought the Tile for my car keys and wallet #ad, but haven’t used it to track my dad. Today I’m looking into products specifically designed to track seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s who tend to leave the house at odd hours.

And leaving you with your wits beside you in worry. Where could they have possibly gone?

I’ve identified these viable GPS trackers which can enable family caregivers to monitor the location of their elderly family member with dementia or Alzheimer's.

Think about how you can use them to effectively reduce the risks associated with elderly wandering.

What is Dementia Wandering?

More than half of seniors living with dementia or Alzheimer’s will wander off at some point in their illness.

People with dementia wander because they have somewhere to be. With a neuro-different perspective than normal people, it’s hard for muggles like me to know exactly where that is - until you find dad there.

Daytime wandering is less worrisome for family members than nighttime wandering. Both day and night wandering present serious risks for individuals living with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

For elderly people prone to wander, Slips, Trips, and Falls are especially common risk. Traffic and other hazards outside the home should be taken into account.

Dementia wandering can be prevented by locking the doors, home monitoring technology, nurturing good sleep patterns, and other precautions.

GPS trackers don’t necessarily prevent elderly wandering, but GPS trackers can help fetch the lone wanderer back after the fact - as long as the GPS is still on their person.

Best GPS Tracker for Seniors Who Wander

The quick summary goes like this:

1. Tracki is the most affordable GPS tracker designed for the elderly who wander off. But it’s not the easiest to use. See Tracki on Amazon.
2. 2023’s best overall GPS tracker for elderly wandering is Jiobit with a compact and modern white design. See Jiobit on Amazon.‍
3. The best-selling GPS tracker people buy to monitor a family member with dementia or Alzheimer's is Tile - which technically uses both Bluetooth and GPS. It’s made for keeping track of keys, wallets, and remotes. See Tile on Amazon.‍
4. Chipolo is the same concept as Tile - a newer, more colorful competitor to Tile with delightful reviews - and up-and-comer for people who like the newest gadgets. See Chipolo on Amazon.

1. Tracki

See Tracki on Amazon.

Tracki is a real-time GPS tracker. You can open the app, and hunt down the appointment dad wandered off to when dad has the GPS tracker on his body.

You can setup “Bounaries” that’ll send an alert on the app, when the person wearing the GPS tracker goes outside the “Boundary”.

2. Jiobit

See Jiobit on Amazon.

I like the way Jiobit looks in stylish home-friendly white. I do NOT want to pay the recurring subscription fee REQUIRED to use Joibit.

Joibit’s after-sale additional service fee is a dealbreaker for me. Imagine someone with Alzheimer’s forgetting to use their Joibit, and still paying for it every month. Believable story, huh?

What’s good is, it comes with all kinds of clips to suit the object or person you need to attach the GPS device to: jackets, shoes, belts, pockets, and more.

It has an app that looks much easier to use than Tracki’s app. Again, it’s useless if you don’t pay for a 6-month or 2-year subscription service plan. The app won’t track the GPS device unless you pay.

3. Tile

See Tile on Amazon.

I own Tile. I use it for my wallet like a credit card and for my car keys on the same lanyard clip. But can Tile keep track of a person with dementia?

What matters most is what the person with dementia likes to do, or already does.

1. If someone with dementia likes to keep their wallet with them at all times, then the Tile Wallet is a good choice.
2. If someone with dementia carries a purse with them, then a Tile Regular or Tile Pro that clips onto the interior is a good choice.
3. If someone with dementia puts on a jacket before they go winter wandering, then the Regular or Tile Pro clipped onto a zipper or pocket loop is a good choice.
4. If someone with dementia brings their smartphone with them, then the Tile Remote adhered onto a smartphone is a viable - currently untested - method I may try.

With Tile, you can use the app to track all your Tile devices for free forever (still there are upgrades they ask you to pay). 

Did you hear that? ALL your Tile tracking devices. You can try use a wallet, purse, shoes, jacket, and and phone.

That’s why I think the type of solution presented by Tile is more viable than Tracki and Jiobit’s overall approach.

Tile is more fail-proof because more devices tracking dad means more clues each time my dad goes missing.

4. Chipolo

See Chipolo on Amazon.

I got Tile as a gift from my uncle. So I haven’t tried the latest 2023 version yet.

And in 2023, there’s a new kid on the block, offering more color to a tracking system like Tile.

The app has a few nifty features up it’s sleeve, like family caregivers sharing access to other people on a need-to-know basis, or during emergency scenarios.

If you like the Tile Style for tracking the person in your family prone to wandering, and you prefer color, then choose Chipolo.

Summary

• GPS trackers for the elderly with dementia/Alzheimer’s provide safety by monitoring their location.
• Tracki offers real-time GPS tracking and geofencing at an affordable price.
• Jiobit's compact design and stylish appearance make it an attractive option with works for seniors.
• Tile can track personal items and be used to monitor seniors with dementia via multiple devices to create more clues.
• Chipolo is a colorful alternative to Tile with shared access and emergency features.