Comparison
GPS trackers for seniors with dementia in Singapore: types, costs and what else helps
The short version
- A SIM-based GPS tracker reports location over the mobile network and can include an SOS button. In Singapore they cost about S$70 to S$140 plus a small monthly plan (checked 2 November 2026).
- An Apple AirTag (S$45) has no SIM or subscription and uses the Find My network. It works well in a dense city but needs an iPhone and gives no live tracking or SOS.
- The best tracker is the one your parent actually carries. Tags sewn into a jacket or clipped to a bag they always take often beat a watch they take off.
- Pair tracking with prevention: Dementia Singapore’s CARA membership helps a finder contact you, and a door sensor can tell you the moment the front door opens at night, before anyone needs finding.
When a tracker makes sense
Many people with dementia go out and come back without trouble for years. A tracker becomes worth it when your parent has got lost, taken the wrong bus home, been found by a stranger, or started leaving the flat at night. It answers one question: where are they now? It does not stop them leaving, and it only works if it is with them.
The main types, compared
| Type | How it finds them | Typical cost in Singapore | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIM GPS tracker (tag or pendant) | GPS plus mobile data, location in an app | About S$100–150, plus a plan of a few dollars a month | Live location, geofence alerts, often an SOS button | Charging every few days, a plan to keep paid |
| GPS watch with SIM | Same, worn on the wrist | About S$110–140 for generic 4G models, plus a SIM plan | Parents who already wear a watch | Easy to take off, small buttons, charging |
| Apple AirTag | Bluetooth, located by nearby Apple devices (Find My) | S$45, no subscription | Bags, keys, a jacket, in a dense city | Needs an iPhone, no live tracking or SOS, anti-stalking alerts may notify an Android-using parent |
| Your parent’s phone | Location sharing (Google or Apple) | Free if they have a smartphone | Parents who always carry their phone | Often left at home, flat battery |
| Smartwatch (Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch) | GPS plus cellular or a paired phone | From about S$349 to S$600+ | Location plus fall detection, for confident users | Cost, daily charging, set-up |
Example prices checked on 2 November 2026: Tack GPS, a tracker with its own SIM, from US$79 plus a plan from US$2.65 a month on a three-year term (its site showed US dollar prices when we checked on 3 November 2026). Second-generation AirTag S$45. Generic 4G GPS and SOS watches about S$110–137 on Amazon.sg. Apple Watch SE 3 from S$349. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
Choosing one: questions to ask
- Will they carry it? Choose a form your parent already uses: a lanyard, a bag, a jacket, a watch. Some families clip a tag inside a bag that never leaves their parent’s side.
- Who will charge it? A tracker with a flat battery is worse than none, because it gives false confidence. Check battery life and who will charge it.
- Does it need a plan? SIM trackers need a mobile plan or subscription. AirTags do not.
- Who sees the location? Can several family members, or a helper, see it in the app?
- Does it alert you, or do you have to look? Geofence alerts tell you when they leave an area you set. Without them, you only know when you check.
- Is it allowed where they go? Some day care centres have rules on devices. Ask.
CARA: free help for someone found lost
Dementia Singapore’s CARA membership is open to Singapore residents living with dementia and their caregivers. Members living with dementia get a physical card and an e-card with a unique QR code; caregivers get the e-card, and several family members can link to the same person in the app. Someone who finds your parent can scan it to reach you, and caregivers can raise a missing-person alert through the CARA app. CARA replaced the old Safe Return Card. It works without any battery, so it is worth having even if you buy a tracker.
Start at the front door
A tracker helps after your parent has gone. Many families also want to know the moment the front door opens at an unusual time, so someone can call or go over before they are far away. A door sensor does this without a camera.
Birdhouse suggests an alert when the front door opens between 23:00 and 06:00, and another when it is left open for more than 10 minutes. With a door sensor, Birdhouse also knows when your parent is out, and can alert you if they have been out for more than 12 hours. Birdhouse does not track location outside the flat, so for someone who wanders, it works alongside a tracker and CARA, not instead of them. See sundowning and night wandering.
If your parent goes missing
- Check the tracker or Find My app, and the places they usually go: the market, the coffee shop, a former home.
- Raise a missing-person alert in the CARA app if they are a member, and ask family and neighbours to help look.
- If you cannot find them quickly, or they are at risk, call the Police on 999 and give a recent photo, what they were wearing, and their medical needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best GPS tracker for an elderly person with dementia?
The one they will carry and someone will charge. SIM trackers give live location and geofence alerts for a small monthly plan. An AirTag in a bag or jacket costs S$45 with no plan but needs an iPhone and gives no live tracking. Pair any tracker with a Dementia Singapore CARA membership.
Can I use an AirTag to track a parent with dementia?
Many families do, by putting one in a bag or jacket. It needs an iPhone to locate, has no SOS button, and only updates when Apple devices are nearby. Talk to your parent about it, and be aware that anti-stalking alerts may notify a parent who uses an Android phone.
Is there a free programme for people with dementia who get lost in Singapore?
Yes. Dementia Singapore’s CARA membership is open to Singapore residents living with dementia and their caregivers. It gives a card and e-card with a QR code that a finder can scan, and caregivers receive safe-return notifications in the app.
Does Birdhouse track location?
No. Birdhouse uses motion and door sensors inside the home. It can alert you when the front door opens at night or when your parent has been out for a long time, but it does not know where they are once they leave.
Sources and further reading
- Dementia Singapore: CARA
- Tack GPS: GPS tracker for seniors (price checked 2 November 2026)
- Apple Watch SE (Singapore store, price checked 2 November 2026)
- Singapore Police Force: emergency 999
This guide describes Birdhouse as it works on 3 November 2026. Birdhouse is not an emergency response service and never calls emergency services for you. In a life-threatening emergency, call 995. Questions or corrections: info@birdhouse.sg.