|
Could this search party be looking for your family member?
 is
a telemetry tracking system used to track high-risk people with Alzheimer’s
disease and special needs children, primarily with
Autism and Downs’ Syndrome.
Since 1986, hundreds of
Sheriff’s, Police, Fire Departments and Search and Rescue teams have used the
Care Trak system to quickly locate at risk individuals. In over 2,000 rescues,
trained emergency responders recovered lost individuals in an average time of
less than 30 minutes. Without Care Trak the average search time is over 8 hours.
This simple, reliable, and
effective system is now available in Van Buren County from the Van Buren County
Sheriff’s Office. The Care Trak system, purchased by the Sheriff’s office, is
recognized as the oldest, most respected name in the Telemetry based people
locating system worldwide.
How it works:
A high risk person wears a small
transmitter similar in size to a wristwatch. The transmitter is attached with a
removal resistant band that can be placed
 either on the
wrist or ankle. Each transmitter has its own frequency which is recorded with
other important information in a confidential client profile. To ensure a high
degree of reliability, the transmitter should be tested twice per day by the
caregiver. A tester is supplied with each transmitter. If the person wanders
away from the caregiver, a call should be made to the Van Buren County Sheriff’s
Office immediately. Trained officers will respond to the last known location
with the client profile and tracking equipment to begin the search. Searches can
be done on foot, by vehicle, or from aircraft depending on the circumstances.
Why should you consider the
Care Trak system for your family member?
-
10% of the population 65 and
over have Alzheimer’s disease. 59% will wander at some point during the
progression of the condition.
-
50% of the population 85 years
old and over has Alzheimer’s disease.
-
32,000 Alzheimer’s patients
wander away from home or long term care facilities each year.
-
75% of care is provided by
friends and family.
-
A person with Alzheimer’s
disease can live for 20 years from the onset of the disease.
-
Can you watch someone 24 hours
per day, seven days a week, for as much as twenty years?
-
If a wandered person is not
found within 24 hours, the survival rate drops to 47%. In Michigan with our cold
winter weather, the time to safely find a wander drops to minutes. Many high risk
persons are not able to tell the difference from night and day, hot or cold
weather, and may leave their care facility at any time of the day or night not
properly dressed.
-
Autism occurs in 1 of every 150
births and the condition is on the rise. Autism is the fastest growing
developmental disability. Down Syndrome occurs in 1 of every 800 births.
Autistic, Down’s, and other special needs children do not always wander, they tend
to “bolt and run”. Since they have no fear of real dangers, they are often killed
by accident.
Cost
The cost for the transmitter is
$260.00; a monthly fee of $20.00 is collected to provide a new transmitter
battery and wrist band. A representative from the Sheriff’s Office will come to
the client’s residence each month and change the battery and reinstall the unit
on the client. Total cost for the first year of service is $500.00. Subsequent
years would be $240.00.
How do I make the purchase?
If you would like to purchase
the system, please call our office at 269-657-2006 between the hours of 8:00
a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Tell the operator you are interested in
Care Trak
and they will take your name and phone number. Someone will call you and
set up an appointment when everything can be explained
and demonstrated.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What if the transmitter gets
wet?
The unit can be safely used in
water, for showers, baths even swimming to a depth of 15 feet.
What about warranty?
The unit is covered for a period
of seven years. The warranty does not cover misuse, abuse, loss or batteries.
Is the equipment used to
track “typical” kids or adults?
No. We specialize in tracking
only at-risk individuals.
How does the caregiver know
the transmitter is working?
The transmitter emits a silent
radio signal 24/7. Each caregiver is given a transmitter tester and is required
to “test” the transmitter twice a day and log the results. The procedure is
simple and requires only seconds.
What if the transmitter stops
working?
Call the Sheriff’s Office
immediately and a new transmitter will be brought to your location as soon as
possible.
Why not GPS?
GPS is great for tracking cars,
bad for tracking people. GPS depends on orbiting satellites to locate a person.
GPS may not be able to locate in buildings, in bad weather, or in heavy under
brush or trees. Clients are not aware they are lost and will not seek open areas
which GPS systems require. Sometimes, low tech is better than high tech.
How far can the signal be
tracked?
Typically, from the ground, the
signal can be detected 1 mile away, but some conditions may allow the signal to
be tracked more or less than a mile. If a signal is not detected at the last
know location, a grid search from a vehicle is instituted.
When should I call if my
loved one is missing?
Spend no more than five minutes
searching. Time is very important in finding a missing person. If you find them
before we arrive that is wonderful.
Who should I call if my loved
one is missing?
Dial 911 and tell the dispatcher
you are a Care Trak customer. Give them the name of the client and the
last known location. Dispatch will contact our trained officers and send them to
that location.
Will I be charged a fee if
you come and search for my loved one?
No, the Van Buren County
Sheriff’s Office will not charge any fees for responding to a lost person
incident.
How far from home will you
respond if we are traveling?
While the unit will transmit
from anywhere in the world, we cannot respond farther than the adjoining
counties. If you are going on vacation or to Florida for the winter, call us and
we can get you in touch with an agency in the area you are going to and get a
transmitter for that area.
My neighbor has Care Trak as
well, how will you know which
transmitter you are tracking?
Each transmitter has a unique
frequency setting; no two will have the same setting in this part of the
country. The frequency is recorded in the client profile and is set in the
search receiver when we need to locate the transmitter.
|
