Safe Zone

A safe zone is a geographical boundary that caregivers can set up around a familiar location — typically the family home, but sometimes also a day centre, a relative's house, or another regularly visited place. When the person with dementia moves outside this boundary, their caregivers receive an automatic alert on their phone or dashboard.

Safe zones are a practical tool for families concerned about wandering, which is common in dementia. Rather than restricting a person's movement or requiring constant physical supervision, safe zones provide a layer of protection that allows the person to move freely within a familiar area while ensuring their family is notified if they move beyond it.

Setting up a safe zone is straightforward. Caregivers define the centre point and radius of the zone on a map (for example, a 200-metre radius around the family home). The system then monitors the person's location in the background and triggers an alert if they move outside the boundary. This monitoring is designed to be battery-efficient, using significant location changes and geofencing rather than continuous GPS tracking.

Safe zones are most effective as part of a broader safety strategy that also includes ensuring the person carries identification, maintaining a consistent daily routine, securing doors and exits appropriately, and having a plan in place for what to do if your loved one does leave their safe zone.

In OurTurn, you can set up multiple safe zones, customise the alert radius, and choose who in the family circle receives notifications. The system is designed to give you peace of mind without being intrusive to your loved one's daily life.