The study analyzed the opinions of over 860 participating families. It revealed that more than 70% of families who used the program to locate missing relatives did not experience heightened concern about future disappearances. Additionally, over 40% of those who used the program installed electronic tracking devices to prevent future incidents, compared to only about 20% of those who did not use the program. This statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) demonstrates that the program effectively encourages families to adopt technology to prevent dementia patients from going missing.Family caregivers are generally satisfied with the program. Most find the iBeacon device easy for their relatives to carry (86%) and consider the “Dementia’s Secret Angel” app convenient to use (73%). Additionally, over 80% of family members believe their relatives are willing to wear the iBeacon device both during (81%) and after (85%) the program.The “Dementia’s Secret Angel” app has a very user-friendly interface. Uploading information to social media allows us to receive immediate responses, and the attentiveness and promptness of the staff are greatly appreciated.An elderly man with dementia went missing in Kwun Tong while carrying the iBeacon device. His wife was unable to locate him and reported the incident through the “Dementia’s Secret Angel” app at 10:30 PM. We encouraged her to also notify the police and shared the location information displayed on the app with them. The police found the elderly man at the Sau Mau Ping bus terminal at 1:30 AM, approximately a 17-minute walk from the location provided by the app.HKT was the first to implement the “Dementia’s Secret Angel” app in over 50 stores across Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the New Territories, establishing a robust and extensive network of detection points for the iBeacon devices.In 2022, we installed tablets preloaded with the “Dementia’s Secret Angel” app at all MTR and Light Rail customer service centers. This initiative aims to expand the search range and assist in locating individuals with dementia who are wearing the iBeacon device.We support this plan by installing “Angel Boxes” at five major bus stations, including Tuen Mun Road Interchange (towards Tuen Mun and Kowloon), Tuen Mun Town Centre Bus Terminus, Sha Tin Town Centre Bus Terminus, and Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier Bus Terminus. These installations help detect the iBeacon device and assist in locating missing dementia patients.
