Would You Use a Tracker on a Loved one ?
 

Apple just announced a new tracking device called AirTag which is the size of a coin, can be attached to almost any item and allows an Apple user the ability to track the exact location of the AirTag and the item it's attached to.

The next time my mother-in-law stays with us here in The Villages and since The Villages is so large and confusing, I strongly suggested to my wife to attach the Apple tracking device to her mother since her mother is in her 70's. In the past, I used to slip an old I-Phone inside my golf cart when my mother-in-law traveled by herself and used the location finder app to at least track the golf cart when she traveled solo.

My wife believes this is an invasion of privacy and I believe its a safety issue.
Any suggestion to convince my wife ?

Only with their permission. Ask her, she might appreciate your concern about her well-being!

You haven't mentioned your relationship with your mother-in-law. If you are on good terms, I would suggest having an open conversation with her to discuss your concerns. If done with compassion, she would probably welcome the tracker. However, if it comes out afterwards that you were tracking her without her permission, it could be a pretty cold house for a while. BTW, being in your 70s does not automatically make you incompetent to find your way around the villages. Being an outsider at any age makes The Villages a bit daunting.

A good paper map goes a long way to learning the highways and byways of The Villages. The Villages GPS app would also be helpful.

A very personal and familial subject that one can only offer an opinion of what they specifically would do......

It is all about safety and well being of a loved one...(has nothing to do with invading privacy).

There are a heck of a lot of residents here in their mid 70's including me and I sure don't feel like I need a tracking device to find me.

An open discussion might be in order.

We all have Life360 on our phones.
It saves a lot of phone calls.
Nice to see where the kids are at.

Tracking Devices
 

Mary and I are in our Mid 70s and I think the "Tracking Device" is a nice addition to the "Name Tags" we wear in the house so we don't get "Confused". Len

Not to disrespect anyone in their 70's, but my mother-in-law is like most and "starting" to become confused more easily and I just worry. I do have a tracking device for my dog and I honestly believe that my dog appreciates my concern for her.

Not to sound like a bad husband, but the moment my wife starts to become confused, I plan on doing this for her and I hope she would do the same for me when the time comes.

Without approval of the human being tracked, stalking is still stalking, regardless of the contrived reasoning.

It’s not about age as everyone one is so up in arms about. Good for you that you can take care of yourself at 90, and have all of your abilities to do so.
This tracker Is about the well being of a person who wanders, and really can’t find their way home, and doesn’t have any Id on them.

Yes it happens in TV, even at 50, 60, 70 and up.
In our old neighborhood, had a mother visiting, 68, she took the golf cart out for a ride, not telling anyone she left. When kids found her gone report made, the hunt began. Three hours later she had no idea how to get back, and wouldn’t ask for help, too proud to admit she was lost. She was found by a neighbor who Recognize the cart, and called her children.

Is that an evasion of privacy, if she had a tracker and could have been found in an hour? I don’t think so, I think it’s just protecting the well-being of your loved ones, but others may have different thoughts than what I do.

We have many people here that are in some forms of dementia, and denial, and do not agree that there are issues. Family keeping them safe, is much better than having law-enforcement looking for them.

Wish they would put it in our IPHONES, I can never find my wife in the grocery store.

Why the fuss?
I would use it. It's your golf cart. Keeping track of it, whoever is driving it, is basicaly good security.
I would also tell the MiL that she is safe if she gets lost, as the golf cart has a tracker on it.
Tracked vehicles usually get a better rate of insurance.
Win! Win!

Love the idea for hubby and myself, I can’t remember how often we couldn’t find each other at Macy’s when we were traveling all over the country. Our phones used to be useless sometimes too.

As far as safety of mother in law, I’d ask her first, what she thought of the idea. If she has dementia already that is a different story.

But if it’s not about invading privacy they can be told they are being tracked.