Wandering

This has been an issue since he came to live with us on July 4th.  He has wandered off four times.  The most recent being today.  He walked out while I was in the bathroom.  I jumped in the car and rode around for twenty minutes searching for him.  Prior to that, I went into his room and noticed he left his wallet, which has my phone number in it.

He's "taken walks" three  other times.  The first time he convinced me he could find his way back.  I showed him where the store was and gave him directions.  It is only a block away.  I waited 20 minutes to see if he could find his way back on his own (like I said, he is very convincing!).  After 30 minutes, I got a call from a stranger and went to pick him up.  He was about a mile away.

The second time, he went off while I was not paying attention.  He likes to sit outside in the back yard and watch the birds.  I was doing dishes and cleaning, then noticed he was no longer there.  This time, I called police because despite searching all the main and side streets, I couldn't find him.

The third time he snuck off, I found him with 10 minutes.

Today he was three miles away, in a bad part of town, in the middle of traffic.

He needs help! you say....
He needs to be in a home! you say...

I agree, but we cannot afford assisted living, and because he has no Medicare or Medicaid, there is no help paying for nursing care.  The VA is still sitting on his pension after four years of denials and 'lost" service records.

These are the issues a caretaker faces, and if you are an untrained layman, it makes life extremely difficult. Not only is it dangerous, it shouldn't have to be this way.  However; as you have seen from my other posts, long-term nursing care and custodial care are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid.

Friends have recommended these products and I am recommending them to you!

Pocket Finder - A GPS system for children.

Locator - For Elderly

The second option may seem like a benefit, but my father cannot even correctly turn the volume up on the TV, and I imagine he will press the wrong buttons and summon the police too often....sigh.

I plan on purchasing the pocketfinder because it is simple.