When an elderly man with dementia started wandering off from his Singapore home, often walking miles before being found, his caretakers were at a loss over how to keep track of him — until a tech firm suggested fitting him with a wearable GPS tag.
His caretakers also placed motion sensors in the 74-year-old's flat and a CCTV camera at its doorway so they could monitor him from a distance. The public housing building has a further six CCTVs in the common areas to watch over its senior residents.
"We have more peace of mind since we installed these, as we can more easily watch over them and get to them quickly in case they have a fall or wander off," said a volunteer caretaker who asked not to be named, as she is not authorized to speak to the media.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.