Best GPS Trackers for a Parent Living with Dementia in Australia

For a family caring for someone with dementia, the fear of a parent going out and not finding their way home is one of the hardest to live with. The good news is that a small location device can ease a great deal of that worry, and let a parent keep the freedom of a walk to the shops or around the block for as long as it is safe. Used thoughtfully, these devices are not about watching someone. They are about helping a person stay independent, and giving the family the confidence to allow it.

This guide explains the options available in Australia, the one feature that matters most for wandering, and the kind, practical things to think about, including the person’s dignity and the support that exists here through Dementia Australia. It is decision support for families, not medical advice, and we point you to the dementia organisations who can help with the rest. For alarms that let a person call for help as well, see our guide to the best medical alarms in Australia.

How the main options compare

The right device depends mostly on where your parent goes and how they live. Here is the short version.

Situation	Better fit
Lives in town, you want an alert if they leave a safe area	A GPS tracker with geofence alerts (KISA, INS LifeGuard)
Tends to take a device off or leave it behind	A tamper-proof clip-on tracker
Wants an SOS button and fall detection too	A combined GPS alarm device (LiveLife, MePACS)
Cost is a concern and there is a care plan	Ask about Support at Home or NDIS funding

What matters most

Geofence alerts: the feature that matters most

If there is one thing to look for, it is a geofence alert, sometimes called a boundary or safe-zone alert. You draw a safe area on a map, perhaps the house and a few streets around it, and the device sends you a message the moment your parent steps outside it. That early warning is the difference between a calm phone call and a frantic search, because you know straight away, while they are still close by. Not every tracker offers it, so check before you buy.

Coverage where your parent goes

A GPS tracker uses the mobile network to show your parent’s location in real time on your phone, which works well in towns and suburbs. The thing to know is that a GPS device cannot report from where there is no mobile signal, and coverage thins out in rural and bush areas. Devices on the Telstra network reach furthest. If your parent walks somewhere remote, no tracker is a substitute for having an up-to-date photo and description ready and the local police number to hand, so a search can start quickly. Talk to the National Dementia Helpline about planning for this.

Worn all the time, comfortably

A tracker only helps if it is on the person when they leave. That sounds obvious, but it is the real challenge with dementia, because a device left on the bench is no use. Look for something comfortable and unobtrusive that becomes part of getting dressed: a pendant, a wristband, or a watch. If your parent tends to take things off, a tamper-proof tracker that clips or locks onto clothing, so only the carer can remove it, can be the answer. With any GPS device, you will also need a routine for the daily or weekly charge.

Dignity and consent

This deserves real care. A location device works best when it is introduced gently and, as far as possible, with the person’s understanding and agreement. Frame it as something that helps them keep their walks and their independence, which is true, rather than as keeping tabs on them. Every family’s situation with dementia is different, and what feels right changes over time. Dementia Australia is wonderful at helping families navigate this with kindness, and it is worth a conversation with them as well as with your parent.

Support through Dementia Australia

You do not have to work this out alone. Dementia Australia runs the free National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500, answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and its website has practical guidance on walking safely and on changes like wandering. An advisor can talk through the right device and the right plan for your parent’s stage and situation, and point you to local services. Calling them early is one of the most useful first steps a family can take. You can find their guidance through Dementia Australia.

The options in Australia

KISA and Australian GPS trackers

KISA is an Australian company whose simple devices all include GPS so family can check a live location through the MyKISA app. Its range is built around easy, dignified use, and it maps onto the funding system here: the KISA Guardian is aimed at people aged 65 and over, often funded through Support at Home, while the KISA Companion is designed for NDIS participants. Other Australian GPS pendants and purpose-built tracking watches offer geofence alerts too, so compare a couple on coverage and the app.

May suit someone who

Lives in a town or city, and whose family want live location and geofence alerts in a simple Australian device with a funding pathway.

Things to check

It needs mobile coverage and regular charging. Confirm coverage where your parent walks, and set up a charging routine.

Monitored providers with GPS and geofencing

The monitored medical alarm providers also offer mobile devices that suit dementia. INS LifeGuard’s SmartTracker pairs GPS and geofencing with a 24/7 response centre staffed by nurses. LiveLife is an Australian self-monitored device that calls Triple Zero (000) and up to six family members with the location when the SOS is pressed or a fall is sensed, with no monthly fee. MePACS and Tunstall have mobile and watch options too. These add an SOS button and, on some, fall detection, on top of location.

May suit someone who

Would benefit from an SOS button and, in the case of INS LifeGuard, a staffed centre answering, as well as location and geofence alerts.

Things to check

Confirm the device offers geofence alerts if wandering is the concern, the monthly cost if it is monitored, and the funding options.

Other GPS pendants, and a word on AirTags

There are other GPS pendants here too, such as devices you text to receive a map link of the person’s location. These can work well for the right family. One thing to be careful of is the small item-trackers like Apple AirTags. They are made for finding keys and bags, not people, with no SOS and no live tracking, and they only update when they pass near someone else’s phone. They are not a safe substitute for a proper personal tracker, so we would not rely on one for a parent with dementia.

May suit someone who

Wants a simple text-for-location pendant, having checked it offers the geofence alerts and coverage the family need.

Things to check

Make sure any device offers geofence alerts if wandering is the concern, and avoid relying on item-trackers like AirTags.

Funding a tracker

A GPS tracker can often be funded rather than paid for outright. For a parent aged 65 and over, an assessment through My Aged Care can fund a device as assistive technology under the Support at Home program, which replaced Home Care Packages in November 2025. For someone under 65 living with dementia, the NDIS may fund a tracker under its assistive technology budget. Start by calling the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500 and My Aged Care, who can point you to the right pathway.

The best overall

For most families in towns and cities, a GPS device with geofence alerts is the practical choice, giving early warning and real-time location. An Australian device like KISA, or a monitored option such as INS LifeGuard’s SmartTracker or the self-monitored LiveLife, covers it well, and adds an SOS button. If your parent tends to take a device off, look at a tamper-proof tracker that clips onto clothing. Whatever you choose, introduce it kindly, make sure it is worn, and lean on Dementia Australia and the National Dementia Helpline for support.

Next steps

A GPS device often sits alongside a medical alarm watch and other home safety tech in our smart home devices guide. For help calling for help at home, see medical alarms for living alone, and there is more in our independent-living guides.