Americans are using Apple AirTags to track loved ones with dementia, according to a report
A popular device used to locate lost items such as keys, wallets, or bag, some Americans use to accompany loved ones with dementia, the report said.
“Caregivers have turned to Apple’s tiny $29 tracking devices after finding other methods of tracking people with dementia to be inadequate or too expensive. Many tracking apps require people to have their phones with them. People with dementia may forget them when they leave the house, carers say. However, they tend to remember the keys and wallets that AirTags are designed to attach to,” The Wall Street Journal reports.
Some people who use AirTags say they lack the accuracy to be useful in difficult situations.
In 2022, an estimated 6.5 million Americans age 65 and older will be living with Alzheimer’s dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s disease was officially listed as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States in 2019 and the seventh leading cause of death in 2020 and 2021 when COVID-19 entered the top 10 causes of death.
“Just because someone is diagnosed with dementia doesn’t mean they can’t still make their own decisions,” Joseph Gaugler, a professor of long-term care and aging at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, told the WSJ. “They can and should be asked if that’s okay with them.”
The idea is also not error-proof. AirTags do not have GPS.
“The AirTag sends a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location of your AirTag to iCloud – you can then go to the Find My app and see it on a map,” says Apple’s website.
AirTags have been linked to criminals who use them for everything from luggage theft to extremes like murder.
“AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking,” Apple says on its website.
AirTags have been linked to criminals who use them for everything from luggage theft to extremes like murder.
“AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking,” Apple says on its website.
#Americans #Apple #AirTags #track #loved #dementia #report
