Tragedies such as the unresolved disappearance of Fiona Wills could be prevented with tracking devices, police say.
Hawke's Bay police said there had been an increase in the number of cases where Alzheimer's sufferers have wandered from their homes, with four recent search and rescue call-outs.
Mrs Wills 77, went missing from her Te Pohue family property in December, after going out to feed the chooks one evening.
Despite extensive searches by police, LandSAR, family and friends and locals, there has been no sign of her.
A memorial will be held for her on Saturday, March 14, at Trelinnoe Gardens.
"Even though she had excellent full-time care, tragedies such as this can still occur," Constable Blair Pryce said.
Police and social agencies are urging families who have an Alzheimer's sufferer to consider using the Wandatrack device, which is worn by the patient and emits a radio signal when activated.
Mr Pryce said if someone did wander, the frequency from the pendant would be picked up by the Wandatrack base system, which was housed at the Hastings Police Station.
"This is a huge asset for emergency services, who often find themselves called out to look for people who have wandered and can't be found. It enables us to pinpoint where the person is and each transmitter pendant has its own frequency, which we can pick up very easily. It saves a lot of worry and concern for families and carers and search teams."
The pendants are not constantly monitored, they are activated when the wearer is reported missing.
"These are not designed to keep a 24-hour watch on people. We will still need to rely on family and caregivers to report someone missing."
The Hastings Alzheimer's Society administers the distribution of the pendants, which can also be used for children who have conditions such as autism.
Society manager Kate Kerr said Alzheimer's sufferers were ideal candidates for the Wandatrack scheme, and the need for such a system was becoming more evident.
Last year there were 1500 people in Hawke's Bay with Alzheimer's and the number of people with the disease is projected to increase markedly.
The Wandatrack devices use the same technology as transmitter devices fitted on kiwi in wildlife reserves.
The scheme is a collaboration between Hawke's Bay police, the Hawke's Bay Zealand Red Cross and the Alzheimer's societies in the Bay.
From Hawke's Bay Today
