Phone app question

We just met a neighbor down here in AZ who lives about 1/4 mile from us. Nice old gal who was walking her dogs. She told us right up front that she has Alzhiemer's. When she left she started off in the wrong direction and looked confused. I asked her if she was headed home and pointed her in the right direction.

That got me to wondering if there is an app for a phone where you could enter her address and if she got turned around she could just open the app, hit a button and it would direct her to her home.

It would have to be a GPS app of some sort and easy enough where an elderly person could easily operate it. Ideally it would give her walking directions to her home just by opening the app with no buttons to push, no instructions to give, etc.

Anyone know of such an animal? Before you ask, I don't know if her phone is an Android or iPhone but I can find out the next time I see her, so fire away with names of apps for each make of phone.

Thanks,
GFC
Mike

WAZE will do this. It stores your home address and is easy to use. Also FREE.

GFC, You could accomplish what you say simply with Google maps. The only "configuration" that is needed is to identify your "Home". When you open the app, towards the bottom is a house "icon" with the words "Directions to home". You chose driving, walking, bus, etc. I believe you can put that app on both Android and that company with the crappy battery life

Jaybeaux

Google maps stores your home address and can give both walking and driving directions....

cliff

opps....Jaybeaux beat me to it.....

but if she is sick she may not remember to even take her phone with her next time much less remember how to use it.....very sad disease....

I believe that he is looking for something that recognizes her location automatically and tells her what to do without interacting.

Unfortunately with that horrible disease, by the time it's truly needed it's unlikely a person will be able to use it. Maybe an
EPRIB would be better so others could find them.

In my Dad's final day of independence (such as it was), he would visit me and walk his dog in my neighborhood. That disease is about as insidious as they come. The "fog" can set-in within seconds: he'd have his bearings and be himself one moment, and then walk up the driveway of a neighbor's home that looked nothing like mine the next.

I'd make sure he had his old-school flip-phone, but calling him would do no good. He couldn't describe where he was when I asked. I'd ask him to read the house number of the closest house and he would get it wrong.

I considered putting my iPhone in his pocket and using the Find Friends app to locate him, but the refresh is a little too slow and the stress wasn't worth it. On his final walks, when he would insist on going alone, I would just follow him.

I've never heard him use the word Alzheimers. Looking back on the day we had a family meeting to discuss his diagnosis and affairs, I think he resolved right then to stop using our names. He calls men "bud", and women "honey". I wonder if he was training himself in an effort to hold on to dignity for as long as possible.

The people in his care home love him. They don't know him of course, but they have affection for the man who's left. The cost of his care would make the payment of a brand-new 51 Sundancer. I'm glad he doesn't realize that, because he would surely prefer we buy a new a boat over paying for him to sit in a clean, safe place waiting to die.

Sorry for the heavy Monday morning thoughts...

A friend on another forum suggested an app called Take Me Home. Actually, as I understand it's a Widget not an app. Not that I know the difference, but it does seem to work.

Once you put in the owner's address, when you open the app it automatically goes to Google Maps and displays a walking route to the home address.

I downloaded it to my phone yesterday. I'll play with it a bit (please, no jokes about my needing to learn it because I'm getting old!! ) and see how easy and reliable it is, then see if she wants me to install it on her phone.

In our family, we use an app called Life360. If you are a cheater/lier you don't want this app because it tracks your every movement, but if you have a family you love and are concerned about you can check in on each other anytime...

Mark, thanks for that tip. I'll see if I can get in touch with any of her relatives and/or neighbors and see if they will install it on their phones.

The Bill Collector said:

In our family, we use an app called Life360. If you are a cheater/lier you don't want this app because it tracks your every movement, but if you have a family you love and are concerned about you can check in on each other anytime...

Click to expand...

+1 on Life360!

Here are some trackers. Sounds like some set up boundaries and notify when they are breached. https://www.caringvillage.com/product-review/top-10-products-track-elderly-location/

I've played around a little with the Take Me Home app and that seems like it works to do what I want an app to do. Now I need to find out where she lives and see if I can talk with some of her family about installing it for her.

Thanks for all the help and the tips.