Technology · Dementia Care · Family Safety
Before anything else: you don't automatically need one. A lot of the content on this topic starts from the assumption that you do, and works backwards from there.
This guide starts from the actual question — is this something your situation calls for, and if so, what does it really involve? It covers how GPS trackers work, what's genuinely available to UK families, what they cost, and — because this matters more than most articles admit — how to think about using one on someone who may not be able to fully consent to it.
Do you actually need one?
There are two quite different situations that bring people to this question, and it's worth being honest about which one you're in.
If you're not sure which category you're in, that uncertainty is worth sitting with before buying anything.
If your parent has dementia and has already wandered, or is showing signs they might — leaving the house at odd times, becoming confused about where they are, getting lost on routes they used to know well — a GPS tracker is a reasonable and often genuinely important thing to consider. This isn't a small or excessive step. Both the police and Alzheimer's Society support the use of GPS tracking in these circumstances, because a fast location can be the difference between a stressful hour and a genuinely dangerous night.
If your parent is mentally sharp but physically frail, and you're mostly feeling a general unease — not tied to a specific incident — that's a different situation. It's not wrong to want that reassurance, but it's worth being honest with yourself about whether a tracker addresses the actual worry, or whether the worry is really about something else: how they're managing generally, whether they're eating properly, whether they're lonely. A device that shows a dot on a map won't tell you any of that.
How GPS trackers actually work
Most devices marketed for older adults combine GPS with mobile network signal and sometimes Wi-Fi positioning, which affects how accurate they actually are in practice.
This matters practically: a tracker that says someone is “near the high street” during a search is still useful, but it isn't pinpoint precision.
Most devices offer two main features beyond basic location: geofencing, where you set a virtual boundary (like “home and the surrounding street”) and get an alert the moment your parent crosses it, and on-demand location, where you check where they are whenever you want via an app. Some devices also include an SOS button and two-way calling, so your parent can speak to you directly through the device if they're confused or distressed.
What's available in the UK — types, not brand rankings
Rather than ranking specific products (pricing and features change often enough that any list goes stale quickly), it's more useful to understand the categories, because the right type depends entirely on your parent's situation.
Worn continuously, combines GPS with an SOS button. UK options like Oysta and Buddi are built for older users — larger buttons, simpler interfaces.
Smaller, less visible — matters for parents resistant to anything that feels medicalising. Clips onto a coat, sits in a handbag, or attaches to keys.
More capable, more expensive. Some include a locking strap that can't easily be removed — important for dementia care.
Low-cost starting point for a sharp-minded parent wanting occasional reassurance. No SOS button; relies on nearby devices, so rural coverage is patchy.
The conversation that matters more than the device
This is the part that most guides on this topic skip entirely, and it matters.
Worth taking seriously, not treating as routine
There's a real and legitimate concern, raised by researchers who study dementia care, that using tracking technology can slide from a genuine safety measure into a form of control exercised over someone without their say — particularly because framing a person's wandering as a “problem to be managed” can make it easier to justify restricting them without really asking what they want. That's not a reason to avoid GPS tracking. It's a reason to be thoughtful about how it's introduced.
Where your parent can understand and take part in the decision, it's worth having the conversation directly, even if it feels awkward. Framing matters: “I'd feel less worried if we had this as a safety net” lands very differently from “we need to keep track of you.” Most people are more willing to accept something they were consulted on than something that simply appeared.
Where dementia has progressed to the point where your parent can't meaningfully consent, this becomes harder, and there isn't a clean answer. What's generally accepted — by Alzheimer's Society, by the police, by most people who work in dementia care — is that a genuine, serious risk of wandering and getting lost outweighs the discomfort of introducing a device without full understanding on the other side. But it's still worth pausing on: this is a decision being made about someone, not with them, and it deserves to be taken seriously rather than treated as a simple purchase.
A few things that tend to help regardless of where your parent is on that spectrum:
- Choose something as unobtrusive as possible
- Don't frame it around what they can no longer be trusted to do
- Revisit the decision periodically rather than treating it as settled forever
What a GPS tracker won't tell you
A GPS tracker answers one specific question well: where is my parent right now. It doesn't answer much else.
How Hea fits alongside a GPS tracker
Hea isn't a location tracker and doesn't try to be one — if wandering or physical safety outdoors is the concern, a GPS device (potentially alongside a personal alarm) is the right tool for that specific risk.
What Hea does is different. Each morning, it checks in with your parent through WhatsApp — a short, friendly question about how they're feeling, their sleep, their mood, whether they've taken their medications. You get a quiet weekly picture of how things have actually been. It's the part of the picture that a GPS tracker was never designed to cover.
For families managing both physical safety risk and the everyday not-knowing, the two tend to work well together rather than in competition: one covers where, the other covers how.
One covers where. The other covers how.
Hea checks in each morning through WhatsApp and sends you a quiet weekly picture of how your parent has actually been — the part a GPS tracker was never built to show.
See how Hea worksFrequently asked questions
Do I need a GPS tracker if my parent doesn't have dementia?
Not necessarily. GPS trackers are most clearly useful when there's a specific risk of getting lost or disoriented — most commonly linked to dementia, but sometimes relevant after a fall, a health event, or in someone who's becoming increasingly frail. If your parent is mentally sharp and the concern is more general, it's worth considering whether the underlying worry is really about something a tracker can't address, like day-to-day wellbeing.
How accurate are GPS trackers for elderly people?
Typically accurate to within 5 to 15 metres outdoors. Indoors or in areas with tall buildings, accuracy can drop to 20 to 50 metres, since the device relies more on mobile network signal than a direct satellite connection in those conditions.
Is it ethical to use a GPS tracker on an elderly parent without their full understanding?
This is a genuine and serious question, not a formality. Where a parent can understand and take part in the decision, involving them directly tends to work better — both ethically and practically, since people are more likely to actually wear a device they agreed to. Where dementia has progressed to the point where full consent isn't possible, most guidance from Alzheimer's Society and the police accepts that a genuine risk of wandering justifies tracking, but this remains a decision worth taking seriously rather than treating as routine.
How much does a GPS tracker cost in the UK?
It varies significantly by type and provider, and pricing changes over time. As a general shape: simpler devices often start around £30 for the hardware plus a few pounds a month, while more specialised devices with monitoring or two-way calling tend to cost more, often £20 to £30 a month. Check current pricing directly with providers before deciding.
Sources
- Alzheimer's Society / University of Southampton, GPS trackers can save the lives of people with dementia — southampton.ac.uk
- Robinson L. et al., Wandering in dementia: a systematic literature review, Health Technology Assessment, 2006
- ScienceDirect, Ethical aspects of using GPS for tracking people with dementia: recommendations for practice
- Age In Place UK, Best GPS Trackers for Elderly People UK (accuracy figures)
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