The last time Len Jenkins was found wandering the streets near his home in Portishead, an anxious stranger made sure he was returned safely.
But Keith, Len’s son, is always worried about his 94-year-old father.
Len’s amnesia means he can’t always remember where he is. His carers have put up signs on his doorstep saying he can’t go out alone but he still forgets from time to time.
Keith, 76, lives 10 miles away and still works, so it’s not possible to monitor him constantly.
But now he has a new way of keeping an eye on his father. Len was selected by Avon and Somerset Police to receive one of 30 new GPS tracking devices that are being given out to people living with dementia.
They are being given to those most at risk of going missing. That means both families and police can log into an app and track where they are.
“I can relax a little bit more,” says Keith. “I can relax because I feel like everything is in place to help him as much as possible physically.”
Keith added: “I could put him in a house where he would be 100% safe … or I could take him home where he wanted to be where he might not be safe.
“And so the system we’ve put in here is, I think, the best compromise. He’s at home, he’s happy and in my conscience I’ve done everything to keep him safe. “
Keith is constantly worried about his father
The project was the idea of Sergeant Stuart King, who saw the need to do something to help.
“In my more than 18 years of police service it’s been a regular occurrence and in fact I’ve seen it more in recent years as we’ve been receiving more and more calls to people with dementia. Dementia is being found by members of the public, either lost or in distress,” said Sergeant King.
“And there are a number of incidents that I have attended that have also stuck with me. Some have fallen into tragic circumstances and others are people living with dementia who have traveled around cities trying to find childhood homes that are no longer there.
“So those are the incidents that led me to consider a solution to this problem to better protect people.”
The tracker connects to an app where families and police can log in
The devices are funded by local companies Bristol Water and Wessex Water.
Stuart has been contacted by police forces across the country wanting to implement a similar plan.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently around 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia, but this number is projected to rise sharply to 1.6 million by 2040.
Len was found wandering the streets
The charity’s director of policy, Gavin Terry, said with the numbers rising, there were need for new ways to support people.
“Advanced technology, like this initiative, is really important in helping to make that happen,” he said.
“It’s also a really good example of how things that are already in everyday technology can be put to good use to keep people safe, help their loved ones, support them. and care for them, improving their health and in many cases prolonging their independence.
“There are some ethical considerations. And there should always be some really clear guidance on how this kind of technology is used, especially for people who lack the ability to make decisions for themselves. .”
