Westminster Council uses satellite technology to help people with dementia

A London council has become the first in the UK to role out the use of new satellite technology for residents who have dementia.

Westminster City Council is using “safer walking technology” to help some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents lead fuller lives while providing extra reassurance to their families who may be worried about them becoming lost when they go out alone.

It follows an intensive six-month trial last year to explore how the technology could be used to enable people in the early stages to live with the disease.

The electronic devices, which can be worn around the neck or wrist or fitted to a person’s clothes, use GPS (Global Positioning Systems) technology and allows users movements to be monitored on a map via a secure website.

Carers and family members can also be alerted by a phone call or text if the wearer goes outside a specific area or check the user’s location for reassurance. In addition users who become confused, stressed or worried can use a panic button function on the side of the devices to alert a control room of their whereabouts .

Westminster resident Desmond Inniss, 78, from Westbourne Park, started using the technology after getting lost in his local neighbourhood.

He said: “This device has given me my freedom back. I go out when I want without worry or fear of getting lost somewhere. I wish I’d started using it sooner.”

If the technology is a success, it could eventually replace the need to prevent people who suffer from the most severe forms of dementia from wandering by using physical restraints or drugs.

Councillor Ed Argar, Westminster’s Cabinet member for Health and Adult Social Services, said: “In Westminster we are committed to innovating and exploring new ways to improve the quality of life of our residents.

“Safer walking technology can provide more independence, reassurance and peace of mind to those who are living with dementia, their families and friends.

“We are of course aware that this technology is no substitute for high quality professional dementia care but we believe it is something that can complement it.”

The devices are only offered following assessment to people in the early stages of dementia who can make an informed decision about whether to wear them.

While the devices can prove to be life-changing for some users it is recognised that this service is not right for everyone, and each case is treated on an individual basis so the service can be tailored to the individual.

Currently 700,000 – or one person in every 88 in the UK – has dementia. A large proportion of those have Alzheimer’s disease. That figure is set to rise to more than one million in 20 years and to 1.7 million by 2050 – an increase of 154% over the next 45 years.

Many people with dementia feel compelled to walk about, a symptom often described as wandering. Up to 60 per cent of people with the condition may wander and 40 per cent have got lost at some time outside their homes.

Andrew Ketteringham, Director of External Affairs at the Alzheimer’s Society, says: “It’s great to see Westminster Council investing in safer walking technology. We often hear from people with dementia who tell us that such technology allows them to have greater freedom and independence and feel more confident doing things they might not otherwise be able to do. It can also relieve some of the anxiety felt by carers that someone with dementia might get lost.

“It’s vital that the person with dementia gives their full consent before safer walking technology is used.

“Using technology in this way will not be right for everyone and it should never be used as a substitute for good care.”