VALENCIA, CA--(Marketwire - February 11, 2010) - It's a growing problem with a growing solution
-- elderly dementia patients go missing every day, so much so that 18
states have created programs called Silver Alerts to help find missing
elderly people before they fall into harm's way.
The Alzheimer's Association warns that more than 60 percent of elderly
patients afflicted with dementia will wander and become lost at some point
in their lives.
One solution many advocates are promoting is the use of personal GPS
tracking devices to help locate dementia patients within minutes of the
realization they are missing.
"Personal GPS devices that can be tracked via an online dashboard can
literally be lifesaving devices," said George Karonis, CEO of LiveViewGPS
(
www.liveviewGPS.com) and a former law enforcement officer with 15 years on
the street. "Having been in law enforcement and having dealt with missing
persons cases, I can tell you that the first few hours that an elderly
person wanders are the most critical, as many dementia patients suffer from
other ailments and are on strict medication regimens. If they are without
their medication for too long, they can collapse, suffer a cardiac arrest
or worse. These devices can be tracked by logging onto your dashboard
online. You get an exact position of the GPS holder that is accurate up to
the last 20 seconds if they're on foot."
Karonis said that caretakers of elderly dementia patients should look for
devices that have feature sets designed to help them track and locate
people fast, including:
-- Online tracking via the Internet
-- Rapid updates, so the location reported is accurate
-- Long battery life, and a motion-activated power button,
so the unit is only using the battery for power when it
is in motion
-- Portable, capable of fitting in your hand or on a key chain
-- Memory that stores tracking points for future reference
"A portable GPS monitoring system can be an invaluable aid for law
enforcement and rescue workers trying to locate missing elderly people
before they can be hurt and providing peace of mind for family members,"
Karonis said. "When used correctly, it can enable family and police to find
a missing person within minutes."
About George Karonis
George Karonis, CEO of LiveViewGPS, is a 15-year law enforcement veteran
with years of experience in security and surveillance.
Contact Information: Rachel Friedman
Rachel@newsandexperts.com