Forum: Modify TraceTogether token to help those with dementia who get lost

One of the current challenges faced by adults who have elderly parents with moderate to severe dementia is that every now and then, these parents wander out of the home on their own and become lost in the streets.

This causes great anxiety for their adult children and severe distress to the vulnerable seniors with dementia who are unable to communicate to others where they live.

In almost all cases, they have no form of identity with them to enable the police to trace their identity and contact their family members.

Currently, the Alzheimer's Disease Association issues a Safe Return Card to people with dementia for them to hold so that other people can help them return home.

However, there is a good chance that the person with dementia will forget to carry the card.

The Government is now distributing TraceTogether tokens.

If someone with dementia carries the token, he can be identified if he gets lost.

However, it is difficult to get a person with dementia to wear or carry an additional item.

The Government should instead create a version of the TraceTogether token that is small enough to be embedded into a person's shoe.

If a person with dementia who has the device inside his shoe becomes lost, other people can take him to the authorities to be identified using the token.

Lee How Teck

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.