New pendants to help those with Alzheimer's

Lorraine Joyes' family used to worry one day the police would call to say the elderly woman was missing. A simple device means they no longer have that fear. The 84-year-old, who suffers from vascular dementia, was prone to wandering off from the Mitchell Downs Home and Hospital where she now lives. The problem got so bad, her family faced having to put her in a more secure facility. But the Rotorua police Search and Rescue squad have a new tool that makes it easy - and quick - to find someone who has gone missing. Squad leader detective sergeant John Wilson said Mrs Joyes and five others in Rotorua would be given new tracking devices, similar to those used to track kiwi. Given to people inclined to wander, like those with Alhzeimer's, the device is a battery-operated pendant they wear around their neck. Each pendant has its own frequency which can be detected from a radio receiver operated from a police vehicle. The search is then narrowed down using a hand-held transmitter. Rotary Club of Rotorua North donated $3800 for the devices. The receiver and transmitter are the most expensive part, with each pendant only costing $280. Mr Wilson said most of the squad's work now involved looking for people within Rotorua rather than rescues in the bush. He said they were called on average 12 times a year to look for missing elderly people. Such a device could have saved the life of Rotorua woman Mabel Jamieson, a partially blind woman who went missing in April, 2006, while walking. Her body was found by Search and Rescue six days later between a garage and a fence. "We all remember Mabel and we don't want to have another one of those searches in Rotorua. The problem is only going to get worse because the population is getting older. We might as well start being proactive about it." Mrs Joyes' daughter, Carol Hardie, said the pendant provided peace of mind for her family. "Sometimes she was taking herself for a daily walk." Mrs Hardie said she heard about the pendants from the Alzheimer's Society and knew immediately it was the answer they were looking for. Better still, it didn't cost them anything. Mr Wilson said there would be several other people in the same situation. "This is a plea to families and any organisation that cares for people inflicted with this condition. Now is the chance to ask for help. "At the moment we have five more pendants but we can easily get funding for more." * Anyone wanting a pendant for a family member should contact Mr Wilson on (07) 349 9558 or Elaine Fox at the Alzheimer's Society on (07) 349 0053.