Something that has always been important to us at Trackershop, is that we continually provide our customers with GPS trackers and products that we would confidently use ourselves.
This is why for the last few years our Grandad Sid has been carrying one of our ProPod 4 Personal GPS trackers everywhere he goes.
Sid is 94 years old and now lives alone in Newquay, Cornwall.
As an old Navy veteran he loves being by the sea and enjoys his long walks along the sea front every day.
Grandad Sid has recently been diagnosed as having very early onset dementia. He sometimes has slight problems with short term memory recollection. At this stage, other than forgetting where he left his glasses, or leaving his hat in the pub (he's always done this after a few too many ales though) he has not yet experienced any limitations to his normal routine.
He is extremely lucky, and is still capable of functioning independently on a day to day basis. He has a fantastic social life that allows him to live alone, without ever getting the chance to feel lonely.
We know that this will change at some point in the future. Whether this is tomorrow, in a week, a month or a year.
Despite the inevitable deterioration of health and despite our requests, he has insisted on staying in Cornwall opposed to moving closer to family in London.
The good news is that he has a strong social circle, so is never a few doors or a short walk from a friend or 5. He socialises daily and there is always at least one group of friends that he schedules to meet with every day.
For someone of his age he still has an incredible memory, an amazing attention to detail and so much energy.
It's his energy that can sometimes cause us concern, as he has always enjoyed walking (who can blame him when living by the coast in Cornwall!)
The fact that he never gives us a time he will be home, or that he sometimes doesn't even know how far he will want to walk on any given day means that it's hard to know if he is still out exploring or has in fact become lost.
Being able to login to the Trackershop app at any time, and monitor his progress has changed our relationship.
Instead of phoning in a panic or out of concern, we now phone him for a chat about what he's seen on his walk that day. A much more welcome reason to call!
This makes him feel like less of an invalid or a burden, and also means he is genuinely pleased to hear from us.
At this stage having him carry a personal GPS tracker is more for our peace of mind, as it means we can check his status and location in the evening to see if he is home at night (or at least on his way home if there's been a live band on at the Sailors Arms).
He's absolutely more than happy to keep his personal tracker in his pocket- I think mainly because it means we are not bothering him with phone calls whilst he's out with friends.
The benefits of a dementia tracker differ from family to family, and we count ourselves as very lucky that we do not yet need the device as the life-line that so many families do.
We are extremely proud of the fact that our dementia trackers really do contribute to a much safer sense of living for so many.
It's a small item that has a huge positive impact on the whole family.
Grandad Sid's Propod 4 personal tracker has been in his pocket every day for nearly 2 years now.
The accuracy and durability is incredible. Even after 2 years and countless miles walking, it still holds its battery for a full 7 days before needing to be charged again.
We have always had full confidence in the reliability and incredibly useful features of our ProPod range.
However, actually using one of our personal trackers in the exact same context as the multiple families who have a vulnerable relative do, absolutely reaffirms what an immensely important and life changing small device they really are.
Even though it makes us very jealous seeing how he gets to spend his days amongst the beautiful Cornish scenery!
Learn more about all of our Personal GPS trackers
And please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions, or need help picking the best tracker for your needs.
0330 055 2777 info@trackershop-uk.com
