My grandfather wanders away and won't stay at home. What can I do to keep him safe?

GPS is wonderful technology but I see one flaw: doesn't someone have to wander off first before one can find them by GPS?

Wandering is so dangerous. It might be time to think about a memory care unit.

Does he live alone? If he has dementia that's probably not a good idea, even with someone living with him he can still sneak out if he truly wants out. When my sister got picked up by the Highway Patrol for walking on the freeway we had to get more serious with 24 hour care. It's sad the CHP told us they have so many elder wanderers they don't even write up reports any more as long as they find a responsible party to take the person home.

We looked into monitors that you can access from phones, tablets or computers to watch what's going on inside and outside the residence. In our case my sister's POA decided to put her in a living facility, but she is so highly functional we are trying to bring her home with live in care. She has already figured out how to get out of the memory care unit twice so she needs one on one care that a facility just cannot provide. She has short term memory loss and wanders, other than that she does everything on her own, so she gets antsy being on lock down. Try to keep him active and on the go, the more activity they have the less likely they are to wander. God bless you and good luck.

My mom was doing the same thing.Eventually, for her safety, I had to place her in a memory care unit, that's locked for her own good.Try giving your father COCONUT OIL.Google it! God Bless.

Yes, he has depression and onset dementia. I am trying now to get home health to send a provider to his home for extra peace of mind.

Medical, or life alert, devices come in pendants and bracelets. (There may be other configuations but I'm only familiar with these.) I have one for my father.

I researched the alert systems before I decided on Guardian Medical, a local company which also provides alarm and security systems. The reason I chose them was because they were the most honest in cautioning that the GPS systems (at the time we spoke) weren't completely flawless, that they weren't satisfied with them and were continuing to research and test systems.

Other medical alert companies bragged about how helpful GPS could be but balked when I pointedly asked about the then current technological limitations. Some companies, such as those that advertise in senior magazines, refused to give me any information but wanted contact information to send literature. They were the first to be eliminated from consideration.

The pendant has worked out well; it's so sensitive that if Dad moves and/or it's dropped, within a few seconds he's contacted to determine if he's all right.

At one point it alerted twice while Dad was in church. The person who called said she could hearing church songs in the background. Just changing his position caused the device to alert and the company called me to let me know.

Here's how to get them: Google "life alert systems" or "medical alert systems" for Houston, Texas. Make a checklist of what you want, call each and determine which best suits your needs. Also Google each company and add "complaints" to determine if there have been reported problems and whether they've addressed them.

It probably wouldn't hurt to alert the Houston PD and EMS that your grandfather is a wanderer.

Has he been checked out by his doctor to determine if there's dementia involved in the need to wander?