Sumter Sheriff's Office Launching GPS Program for Those With Alzheimer's, Dementia

The Sumter County Sheriff's Office in Florida is launching a new program to help families keep track of relatives with dementia or Alzheimer's, reports WESH NewsChannel 2 . "Our goal is to assist families with being able to safely locate their loved ones . . . who may be prone to wandering behavior," said Sheriff's Office victim advocate Sharon Donocourt. The Dementia Recovery, Education, and Management program is funded by the Bureau of Justice Administration through a federal grant, and offered to Sumter County residents at no charge. Participants can opt for a global positioning system (GPS)-enabled watch or a smaller GPS device that can be affixed to clothing. Both devices feature a smartphone application that lets families or caretakers monitor loved ones' whereabouts. The plan is to reduce the number of people who wander from a safe location and need law enforcement to find them and return them home. "They can call still," said Donocourt. "Our dispatch will access an Internet-based portal where we can locate the individual and we can just send deputies out to their exact location."