Americans are using Apple AirTags to track loved ones with dementia, report says - New York Post

A fashionable instrumentality utilized to find mislaid items similar keys, a wallet, or a bag, is being utilized by immoderate Americans to way their loved ones with dementia, a study says. 

“Caregivers person turned to Apple’s tiny, $29 tracking devices after uncovering different methods of monitoring radical with dementia aren’t a fit, oregon are excessively expensive. Many tracking apps necessitate radical to person their phones with them. People with dementia mightiness hide them erstwhile they permission the house, accidental caregivers. They bash thin to retrieve keys and wallets, however, to which the AirTags were designed to attach,” The Wall Street Journal reports.

Some radical utilizing AirTags accidental they deficiency the precision to beryllium utile successful dire situations. 

An estimated 6.5 cardinal Americans property 65 and older are surviving with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2022, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s illness was officially listed arsenic the sixth-leading origin of decease successful the United States successful 2019 and the seventh-leading origin of decease successful 2020 and 2021 erstwhile COVID-19 entered the ranks of the apical 10 causes of death.

“Just due to the fact that idiosyncratic has been diagnosed with dementia doesn’t mean they can’t inactive marque decisions for themselves,” Joseph Gaugler, a prof of semipermanent attraction and aging astatine the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, told The WSJ. “They tin and should beryllium asked if it’s OK with them.”

Public wellness officials accidental tracking people with dementia is ethically murky, arsenic immoderate radical mightiness disagree with wanting to beryllium tracked. Christopher Sadowski

The thought besides isn’t fail-proof. AirTags don’t person GPS. 

“AirTag sends retired a unafraid Bluetooth awesome that tin beryllium detected by adjacent devices successful the Find My network. These devices nonstop the determination of your AirTag to iCloud — past you tin spell to the Find My app and spot it connected a map,” Apple’s website says. 

AirTags person been associated with criminals utilizing them for everything from luggage theft to specified extremes as murder. 

“AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking,” Apple says connected its website.

AirTags person been associated with criminals utilizing them for everything from luggage theft to specified extremes as murder. 

“AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking,” Apple says connected its website.