Published in Examiner
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Two cases of elderly women with Alzheimer’s disease found dead on the street has Montreal once again wondering about the GPS tracking system and if Alzheimer patients should be wearing the devise.
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Caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease is not easy. Because of the serious loss of memory, patients with Alzheimer’s disease can leave the house and wander in the streets. They can suddenly get disordered and forget where they are or where they live. Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia, which causes severe memory loss. At first the short term memory is affected and patients will forget little things like a friend’s phone number and then the disease progresses to the point where patients no longer remember their loved ones. It is a horrible disease and Alzheimer’s patients need constant care.
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It is difficult for caregivers to tend to all the needs of an Alzheimer’s patient and eventually many families have to make the hard decision to place their loved one in a nursing facility. Families who still have their parents or other loved one at home, are even more stressed since the two deaths in Montreal spaced only a month apart  Families are now wondering about the GPS tracking system.
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Maria del Carmen Serrano was found dead behind the Hippodrome de Montreal in December, three days after she was reported missing from her home. She was 73 years old.
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The second incident happened on Sunday Jan 31, 2010 when an 80 year old woman with Alzheimer’s was reported missing. She had just gone out for groceries a few days before and was successful in bringing them home. This time she never made it and was found later on that day, frozen to death behind a strip mall in Cartierville not far from her home.
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Cayeano Jesus Serrano, the son of Maria Del Carmen Serrano is very saddened by this new death. I said it should never have happened and he does not want to see it happen anymore. Â
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Neither do the Montreal police who are pressing for GPS bracelets for people with Alzheimer’s and other mental health and medical conditions that require constant care. They will release the results of survey on the feasibility of these GPS tracking systems in the near future.
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The ethical issues pose a problem and not all experts agree.Â
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The executive director of the Griffith McConnell residence (senior citizen home) has an issue with the GPS devices. Annette Rudy maintains that is an invasion of privacy, Canadians  protected by the Canadian Charter of Human Rights.
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Serrano on the other hand questions how many people have to die before they are given the device to save their lives.
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Sources:
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Octogenarian found frozen to death
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Comments: 30
But perhaps they fear if they open the door by allowing this, it WILL expand to be required of all. That's a pretty big leap, though, IMO.
When my aunt developed Alzheimer's, I talked to the neighbors on both sides of her house. I left telephone numbers with them so if she wouldn't go with them, we'd be notified. While most of the people around her block knew where she lived, it was a worry that she'd go further and get lost.
The GPS bracelet sounds like a great idea to me.
I have no problems with the GPS locater, especially if it may be activated remotely so that the patient may be easily located if lost.
They can have their name, home phone, address all on a bracelet. So, if they ever get lost or confused, someone can look at their id and say, well, this is where he/she belongs.