A GRANDFATHER with dementia will no longer get himself lost thanks to a “miracle” GPS satellite tracking device which can pinpoint his exact location at all times.

Andrew Burley of Church Walk, Upton-upon-Severn, has regained his independence and no longer worries his family when he goes out alone because of a “buddi” which he has been using since January.

Mr Burley, a former mechanic, enjoys going for walks or on the bus but can often be gone for hours as he had no concept of time.

The 63-year-old said: “When we first got the buddi, I thought it wouldn’t make any difference.

“But I was quite pleasantly surprised. It’s given me a lot more confidence when I go out on my own because I have no comprehension of time.”

Buddi, developed by a Malvern entrepreneur, calculates its location to within a few feet, allowing carers, friends or family of a wearer to check their whereabouts by logging onto the buddi website or by calling or texting the buddi team who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is the size of a matchbox and can be worn around the neck or attached to a pocket or bag.

Mr Burley, who was diagnosed with dementia in August last year, has been issued the buddi on permanent loan from Worcestershire County Council Telecare Team which works in partnership with community mental health teams, and currently has 20 buddis out on loan.

He said: “I have a routine. Every morning when I get up I put it in the top pocket of my shirt, and I usually take it off about 7.30pm and put it in the charger for a couple of hours.”

His wife Margaret described the buddi as a “miracle device” which had transformed her life and her husband’s.

She said: “Andrew wouldn’t answer a mobile phone and won’t ask for help if he is lost so I would worry about him but now I can go on the computer and see where he is.”

The couple were advised to start using a buddi as soon as possible so Mr Burley would get into the habit of using it, before his condition changes.

Mrs Burley said: “Andrew knows Worcester city centre really well, but the advisor said that one day he wouldn’t recognise it. It could be a long drawn out progression or it could happen at any time so it’s good to get into the habit of using a buddi and it means that we are not tied to each other but I know he is safe.

“It’s like he has his own personal sat nav. We’re extremely pleased with the buddi - it’s peace of mind for me and lets him keep his independence. There are still a lot of people out there who don’t know about these things. I knew a woman who lost her husband and had to go to the police to look for him.”

More than 200 UK local authorities are using buddi to help the elderly or those with dementia to stay in their own homes for longer. buddi also has optional features including geo-fencing which allows an imaginary boundary to be drawn around a specific area, alerting a “guardian” of its location if this is violated and the person-down feature if the user falls and fails to get back up again.

Buddi was developed by entrepreneur Sara Murray, former Malvern St James student, after her daughter went missing in a supermarket, but its main focus is now the elderly.

Comment: page 6 BUSINESSWOMAN BEHIND 'MIRACLE' DEVICE'

THE mum behind the buddi device did so after her daughter got lost during a trip to a supermarket.

Sara Murray is a successful businesswoman who among other things founded online insurance comparison website confused.com.

The 40-year-old attended Malvern Girls’ College (now Malvern St James) between 1983 and 1987 where she studied for O Levels and A Levels.

The mother-of-one graduated from Oxford University with an M.A. Hons in Physiology, Psychology & Philosophy.

In 1992 Ms Murray started her first business, Ninah Consulting - a marketing consultancy advising multi-national corporates on their marketing effectiveness. It has been adopted by some of the world’s largest consumer brands, including SmithKline Beecham, HBOS, Diageo, the AA, CGNU, Comet and Coca-Cola Schweppes.

In 1999, Ms Murray, who now lives in London, founded inspop.com, an online insurance marketplace. Having built the customer base to 250,000 and renamed it confused.com, she sold the company to the Admiral Group 18 months later.

She came up with the idea of buddi when her young daughter Rowena temporarily disappeared at a supermarket. She wanted to create a way to give both her and her daughter peace of mind, and after two years of research and development in GPS technology - buddi - an innovation in personal safety, became a reality in 2007.

She has also pioneered Tracker - a secure monitoring service in the mental health arena - which is being used by some of the largest NHS Trusts, police forces, private companies and individuals.

Ms Murray is a member of the Government’s Technology Strategy Board, which supports the exploitation of science, technology and innovation to benefit business, increase economic growth and improve the quality of life in the UK.

She also sits on the Government's Small Business Economic Forum, which has been established to provide small business leaders with a direct link to Ministers.

In November 2010, Ms Murray was named as one of 16 entrepreneurs appointed to join the Government’s new Entrepreneurs Forum designed to advise on new business and enterprise policies.