Unfortunately, it’s just a fact that elderly people’s health is more fragile. Ageing and medical conditions increase the chances that they’ll experience a medical emergency. And if your parent is growing older and more forgetful, they could become lost or confused.

That’s why adult children of older parents need to be able to track where their parents are. In a crisis, minutes and even seconds count. It’s essential to be able to locate and get help to your elderly parent fast when they need it.

But what’s the best, most reliable, and safest way to track your older mom or dad?

In this article, we’ll discuss what kinds of emergencies seniors can face and the best steps to take so you can get help to them fast.

When might you need to locate your elderly parents fast?

Seniors are more likely to have long-term medical conditions, which can lead to medical crises. For example, over 70% of Americans aged 60 and up have high blood pressure, according to the CDC. And when high blood pressure isn’t controlled, it can increase risks of heart attacks, strokes, and other medical emergencies.

What’s more, those medical conditions often require medications – which can have side effects of their own, such as fainting and confusion.

It’s also a fact that elderly people are at higher risk of falls. A surprising one in three seniors will fall every year, so it’s essential to ensure they can call for help if they fall while alone. Being stuck on the ground with no way to get up can be very distressing and dangerous. That’s not something any senior should have to endure.

Lastly, let’s talk about dementia. It’s been estimated that 2 out of every 10 seniors has mild cognitive impairment, and 1 in 10 has dementia. Even mild cognitive impairment or confusion can result in dangerous situations like getting lost or forgetting to take medication. More severe dementia can lead to wandering, which can have serious health effects if a senior can’t take care of themselves in extreme weather.

All of these situations are ones where elderly people need help urgently. They’re also situations that are especially risky when the older person is alone. A fall, heart attack or fainting spell can strike when a senior is out walking the dog, driving their car, fishing peacefully in nature, or doing other solitary activities outdoors.

When that happens, family members need to be able to locate their older parents as soon as possible. A small tracking device can make all the difference in those crucial moments after an accident.

Considering options for tracking your elderly parents

Airtags

Some people like to use Apple Airtags for tracking purposes. In fact, we’ve previously discussed the question of tracking children using Airtags or other devices.

In short, the problem with Airtags is this – they work by “talking to” other Apple devices. If your elderly parent falls or collapses outdoors while taking their dog for a walk in the morning, or even while alone gardening in the back yard, there may not be other Apple devices nearby for tracking purposes. When your older parent’s safety is at risk, you can’t afford to bet that an iPhone or other Apple device will be nearby.

Location sharing

Perhaps, then, you’ll consider using location sharing or family location apps on your cell phone. But this option assumes that seniors will have their cell phone nearby, which might not always be the case. Seniors aren’t as attached to their devices as younger people, and they may not remember to bring their cell phones with them at every moment. Cell phones can easily run out of charge, too.

Again, using location sharing is a gamble. You need a tracking device that’s with your older parent 24/7.

Another problem with both of the above options is that they don’t offer a way to send out an SOS distress call. Seniors who are seriously ill because of one of the incidents we’re listed above might not be able to manage dialing a cell phone. Elderly people who are unconscious or losing consciousness certainly won’t. And older people with dementia might be unable to understand how to make a phone call.

If an older parent in distress can’t make a call for help, then the tracking functionality could be useless. Their children might have no idea that there’s a problem.

It’s easy to see that a tracking device for elderly parents also has to include a way to call for help quickly and simply.

Mobile personal alerts with GPS tracking

What seniors and their families need is a personal alert device with an SOS button and GPS tracking.

These can come in the form of a necklace pendant or a small device that clips onto the belt. Either way, they come with a set of crucial functions for keeping older parents safe, including tracking and a way to call for help fast.

How does a personal alert with GPS tracking protect seniors?

Let’s talk about what features should come with a mobile personal alert or personal alarm tracking device.

GPS tracking

Here’s a key one, of course. You’ll want a personal alert that has GPS tracking, so it works both inside the home and outdoors. Unlike an Airtag, a personal alert’s tracking system doesn’t rely on having other Apple devices around.

With the SureSafeGO, family members can use a simple app to track their older family member’s movements. It’s easy – and better yet, it doesn’t rely on a cell phone that can easily be forgotten and left behind. The personal alert device is even showerproof, so there’s no need to take it off at all.

Geo-fencing

With the SureSafe Dementia Tracker, you’ll get GPS tracking plus an additional feature – geo-fencing. This just means that you can tell the tracker what’s a “safe” area for your older parent to be in. If your parent leaves the safe zone, you’ll get an alert.

This function is great for older people with dementia who are at risk of wandering. As many caretakers for loved ones with dementia know, wandering is when a person with dementia walks away from their home or family because of dementia symptoms. Outdoors, an interesting sight or confusion can spur the person with dementia to wander and get lost. Indoors, a person with dementia may not realize they are in their own home, so they may try to escape to “go home.”

Either way, these incidents can be dangerous because people with dementia can’t understand the world around them or take actions to protect themselves. It’s crucial to locate dementia wanderers as soon as possible to keep them safe. And that’s what GPS tracking and geo-fencing lets you do.

SOS button

As we’ve discussed, tracking isn’t enough all on its own. Seniors who are seriously ill, injured, losing consciousness, or confused need a super-easy way to call for help immediately.

That’s what an SOS button is for – also known as a panic button. As you’d expect, it’s a single button on your personal alert tracker that calls family and friends for help. The older person wearing the tracker just needs to press and briefly hold the button to make a call for assistance. Then they can speak directly through the pendant to their loved ones, getting reassurance and explaining the problem.

Cell phones won’t always be nearby when a senior experiences a sudden emergency. They need an SOS button that’s with them all the time.

Fall detection

What if your elderly parent falls and knocks themself unconscious, or otherwise passes out from a health problem before they can press their SOS button?

Automatic fall detection provides another layer of protection for these situations. Personal alert trackers with this function have sensors that are always working to tell whether the wearer has fallen. If the device believes it has detected a fall, it will call for help all by itself – no need for the alarm wearer to do anything at all.

SureSafe tracking safeguards for your older parents

Being the child of an elderly parent can come with a lot of worries. SureSafe’s GPS tracking personal alerts offer peace of mind. You’ll know there’s a way for you to locate your parent in a crisis – and there’s a way for your parent to call for help, too.

At SureSafe, we know how important personal alerts and GPS tracking can be for protecting the safety of vulnerable people – including seniors, children and people working alone. We’ve been providing easy-to-use, affordable, and reliable personal alert devices for over ten years. And we’re here to help you choose a personal alert tracker for your older parents, too.

To get in touch with our expert team, you can fill out our contact form or call our experts at 888 540 7193. Alternatively, send us an email at [email protected], use our live chat, or request a call back.