[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Holpat39

Not all dementia patients should be locked up in a facility and why shouldn't they be allowed to be out with a caregiver. Your post "what numbskull let them out in the first place" makes it sound like taking out the dog. Some of the loud mouth drunks in town square shouldn't be out in the streets since they create a disturbance. If you know a dementia person in a nursing home you would not want them to be there since so many facilities are short handed and the person will not get the care they need. I speak from experience dealing with a Parkinson patient. One week in a nursing home and I brought him back home. Minimal care where he was placed..

Nice addition to the thread.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by Holpat39

Not all dementia patients should be locked up in a facility and why shouldn't they be allowed to be out with a caregiver. Your post "what numbskull let them out in the first place" makes it sound like taking out the dog. Some of the loud mouth drunks in town square shouldn't be out in the streets since they create a disturbance. If you know a dementia person in a nursing home you would not want them to be there since so many facilities are short handed and the person will not get the care they need. I speak from experience dealing with a Parkinson patient. One week in a nursing home and I brought him back home. Minimal care where he was placed..

Again, I was ONLY referring to patients known to create disturbances out in public. I agree some if not most should be a able to get out when properly attended. Each case is different and never remains the same as most dementia is progressive.

[MartinSE]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

My 87 year old family member being kidnapped in a Walmart in the Villages is extremely unlikely. Other Alzheimer's patients yelling "Help! Help!" or "I am being kidnapped" in Villages stores is very likely.

And in the real world, when was a Villager with Alzheimer's ever kidnapped by a stranger or even a caretaker? My guess is NEVER.

And how did the Alzheimer's patient get to Walmart in the first place? Someone had to have driven her there. Someone like a caregiver. Someone trying to do her job.

I am sorry. Everything you said applies to YOU and YOUR family member. But, none of it can be applied in general. How would I know who and what is going on. I see a stranger screaming at another stranger. I am going to call 911. I would hope if I was being accosted someone would call 911 or come to my help. How are they supposed to know I have dementia?

I am truly sorry your family member went through this. But, honestly it was no ones fault. And applying your situation and saying everyone else should be left on their own to deal with strangers is just wrong.

[MartinSE]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

Again, I was ONLY referring to patients known to create public disturbances out in public. I agree some if not most should be a able to get out when properly attended. Each case is different and never remains the same as most dementia is progressive.

Exactly, "properly attended".

Each individual case is different, and a qualified care giver should be able to decide if the person in their care is able to be controlled or not.

[Keefelane66]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Dementia-related Behaviors: Managing Public Outbursts - AgingCare.com

Please take what is probably a dementia patient's outburst here in the Villages in some store, restaurant, park, etc., with a measure of restraint in both your approach and how you interact with the person's caregiver and with the authorities.

Get the facts before dialing the police. Otherwise you might make things worse for the caregiver and his or her patient.

Thanks for posting this public service we have 2 currently in our area and one that just passed. God bless the Cargivers.

[Lea N]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Dementia-related Behaviors: Managing Public Outbursts - AgingCare.com

Please take what is probably a dementia patient's outburst here in the Villages in some store, restaurant, park, etc., with a measure of restraint in both your approach and how you interact with the person's caregiver and with the authorities.

Get the facts before dialing the police. Otherwise you might make things worse for the caregiver and his or her patient.

Patience, kindness and a smile go far to help an Alzheimer's patient, and their caregiver.

I was a caregiver to my father. I took him anywhere he wanted to go. In the beginning we ate out a lot because he enjoyed it. Eventually that became too hard for him and unfortunately we had to stop. The noise and crowds started to confuse him and bother him. But I would pick up food from his favorite restaurants sometimes.

One day we were at one of our favorite restaurants (this was in SE FL) and we had been seated. The server had placed our drinks on the table. We were sitting outside on a beautiful day. My father went to use the men's room and I always watched closely to make sure he found his way back OK. As he was walking back to our table he went to the wrong table where a man was sitting by himself. My father started to pull out the chair at that table. I ran over to him, put my arm around him and said "Hey dad, our seats are over here. Look the waitress put our drinks there for us." He happily went along with me. The gentlemen sitting at the table was so kind. He wasn't bothered at all. He asked if we would like to join him. Looking back I probably should have said yes.

[Lea N]

Originally Posted by MartinSE

A better solution? "People have some common sense".

Okay, I will bite.

Would you care to explain how we get from (many/most) people don't have any common sense to everyone (most/many/some/a few) has common sense and uses it.

And how we do that in the current population and society. In my case, a solution that requires educating some number of generations will do me no good. If you can't say how, then it is not a solution, it's a wish or desire. It would be nice, the world would be a seriously better place. But, I don't see it as a "solution".

"Read up on...",

I too have memory issues (difficulty forming new long term memories), so I have "read up" (ahem) a lot on most (all?) forms of dementia.

There is a lot of turn over in many industries, so?

My solution was/is:

Florida does not require licensing for "care givers". With the dominant population of people with dementia or other cognitive difficulties being "older" and Florida having a fairly large population of seniors, not regulating who is taking care of those that are least able to protect themselves is not the best that Florida could do to protect its residents from the horde of scammers. Seniors are the most common target of scams.

If I get to the point where I need a care giver, I do not want my kids to have to try and figure out who they can trust. I would much rather have them be able to look up the license of any individual they are considering and KNOW they are who they say they are and they are certified and trained. Not perfect but better than anyone can print a business card and call themselves a "Care giver".

Given Florida passes legislation to require "care givers" to be licensed and have standardized IDs for both the care givers and the people with dementia they are providing care for. That way there is no need for "common sense" or guessing.

If a person is yelling and screaming that they are being kidnapped, they should be taken seriously. It might be real, it might not.

But, I would rather briefly inconvenience 20, 100, or even 1,000 people and just have the caregiver display a card with their photo and the photo of the person they are taking care of, than to not catch one wacko kidnapping someones parent or grand parent.

The Alzheimer's Association used to have what they called Safe Return Bracelets. The bracelets were worn by the person who had Alzheimer's and also by their caregiver. I took care of my father. We both wore one. I don't remember exactly what each bracelet said but it identified him as a person with Alzheimer's or a memory disorder and me as his caregiver. If we were out together and something happened to me (a car accident for example) and EMT's or the police were involved the bracelets could explain the situation to them. They would know better what they were dealing with. The Alzheimer's Association had our records on file and their phone number was on the bracelets. If I was out with my father and "lost" him I could quickly contact the police department and also the Alzheimer's Association. At that time (over 15 years ago) 90-something percent of Alzheimer's patients who wondered away and were wearing a Safe Return Bracelet were safely returned to their family. Unfortunately the program has been discontinued. I don't know when or why it stopped, it was after my father passed away.

[Taltarzac725]

Sounds like it was a good idea. The Safe Return Bracelets. My biggest worry is my Mom wandering off. Getting kidnapped would probably rank around last.

[MartinSE]

Originally Posted by Lea N

The Alzheimer's Association used to have what they called Safe Return Bracelets. The bracelets were worn by the person who had Alzheimer's and also by their caregiver. I took care of my father. We both wore one. I don't remember exactly what each bracelet said but it identified him as a person with Alzheimer's or a memory disorder and me as his caregiver. If we were out together and something happened to me (a car accident for example) and EMT's or the police were involved the bracelets could explain the situation to them. They would know better what they were dealing with. The Alzheimer's Association had our records on file and their phone number was on the bracelets. If I was out with my father and "lost" him I could quickly contact the police department and also the Alzheimer's Association. At that time (over 15 years ago) 90-something percent of Alzheimer's patients who wondered away and were wearing a Safe Return Bracelet were safely returned to their family. Unfortunately the program has been discontinued. I don't know when or why it stopped, it was after my father passed away.

That is a great idea, thank you.

[Woodbear]

Originally Posted by Lea N

The Alzheimer's Association used to have what they called Safe Return Bracelets. The bracelets were worn by the person who had Alzheimer's and also by their caregiver. I took care of my father. We both wore one. I don't remember exactly what each bracelet said but it identified him as a person with Alzheimer's or a memory disorder and me as his caregiver. If we were out together and something happened to me (a car accident for example) and EMT's or the police were involved the bracelets could explain the situation to them. They would know better what they were dealing with. The Alzheimer's Association had our records on file and their phone number was on the bracelets. If I was out with my father and "lost" him I could quickly contact the police department and also the Alzheimer's Association. At that time (over 15 years ago) 90-something percent of Alzheimer's patients who wondered away and were wearing a Safe Return Bracelet were safely returned to their family. Unfortunately the program has been discontinued. I don't know when or why it stopped, it was after my father passed away.

I so wish something like this was still around. Watching your mid 50's wife fade away is difficult and getting harder every day.

[Lea N]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Sounds like it was a good idea. The Safe Return Bracelets. My biggest worry is my Mom wandering off. Getting kidnapped would probably rank around last.

It's been a long time since I was living in the world of Alzheimer's. Back then I was blessed with tremendous support - my husband, friends, the Alzheimer's Association and other caregivers (through Alzheimer's Association support groups.) We became a family of sorts. We looked out for each other, and all of our loved ones.

One thing you try is to put bells (like jingle bells) on all of the exit doors
. If your Mom tries to wonder off they'll make noise. In some, not all instances a black mat by the door(s) is very unwelcoming to some Alzheimer's patients. They see it as a whole in the floor and avoid it.

If you haven't already heard of the Alzheimer's Store here is a link to their site. They sell a lot of products to help families and people living with Alzheimer's. It's been a long time but I remember getting something for my Dad from them. They were very helpful.

If you haven't tried reaching the Alzheimer's Association give them a call. Back then they were a great resource for my Dad, myself and my husband. I don't know what they are like today. They used to have a 24/7 phone number for caregivers to call if they ever needed help with their loved one. I'm not sure if they are still doing that or not. Their phone number is 1-800-272-3900. I wish you and your Mom all the best.

[Lea N]

Originally Posted by Woodbear

I so wish something like this was still around. Watching your mid 50's wife fade away is difficult and getting harder every day.

My heart goes out to your wife and you. Early onset Alzheimer's is especially cruel.

I hope you don't mind my suggesting that you give the Alzheimer's Association a call. It has been a long time since they were part of our lives. But at the time they were a tremendous support and resource to my Dad, myself and my husband. I ended up going to support group meetings that I really didn't want to go to. I learned so much about how to help my father, how to be prepared and surrounded myself and my Dad with people who were living with Alzheimer's or a memory disorder. We all looked out for each other and our loved ones. If you are interested here is their number 1-800-272-3900. You could ask them what kind of resources they have available to help your wife and you, about support groups in the area if any and what if anything they suggest to keep your wife safe from wondering off.

You could also take a look at the Alzheimer's Store. They sell all kinds of products to help families living with Alzheimer's. They are also very knowledgeable. Here is a link to their site: Alzheimer's Products | Activities | Wandering | Safety

It's a tough road to travel. Today I am a caregiver to my beloved husband. It isn't Alzheimer's but it is hard to see someone you love going through health issues. I truly wish you and your wife all the best.

[Taltarzac725]

Thanks for the information. I do get a lot of help from some of the neighbors. Many have connections to home health care through new girl friends, a son with a new wife, etc.

Originally Posted by Lea N

It's been a long time since I was living in the world of Alzheimer's. Back then I was blessed with tremendous support - my husband, friends, the Alzheimer's Association and other caregivers (through Alzheimer's Association support groups.) We became a family of sorts. We looked out for each other, and all of our loved ones.

One thing you try is to put bells (like jingle bells) on all of the exit doors
. If your Mom tries to wonder off they'll make noise. In some, not all instances a black mat by the door(s) is very unwelcoming to some Alzheimer's patients. They see it as a whole in the floor and avoid it.

If you haven't already heard of the Alzheimer's Store here is a link to their site. They sell a lot of products to help families and people living with Alzheimer's. It's been a long time but I remember getting something for my Dad from them. They were very helpful.

If you haven't tried reaching the Alzheimer's Association give them a call. Back then they were a great resource for my Dad, myself and my husband. I don't know what they are like today. They used to have a 24/7 phone number for caregivers to call if they ever needed help with their loved one. I'm not sure if they are still doing that or not. Their phone number is 1-800-272-3900. I wish you and your Mom all the best.

[Taltarzac725]

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[jebartle]

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