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Tag: alzheimers wandering

LoJack SafetyNet elder care expert at Feb. 24 Fearless Caregiver Conference

LoJack SafetyNet

LoJack SafetyNet General Manager John Paul Marosy, eldercare expert and author of several caregiving books, will participate in a Fearless Caregiver presentation on new technologies and techniques to assure the safety of people with cognitive impairments who wander. The Fearless Caregiver Conference is Feb. 24 at the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Marriott.

Marosy will appear  at noon with representatives of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Project Lifesaver of Palm Beach County.

For more information: The Fearless Caregiver Conference

Posted on February 18, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Caregiving | Tags: , , , ,

Alzheimer’s & Dementia:Night-time wandering

American Health Assistance Foundation

What do you do if your husband just wants to go outside at night all the time?

For your husband’s safety and your own piece of mind, your best bet is to ensure that your home is locked up tightly at night so that your husband cannot easily leave. For this, deadbolts that lock from the inside are useful, so long as your husband does not have access to the key. Windows will also need to be secured by some sort of locking mechanism for which only you have the key. Hang bells or other noisy things on the door handles, to alert you if he is trying to open a door. If your husband’s vision is poor, you can also try placing rugs with large dark-colored block designs in front of door exits. Dementia patients with poor vision can mistake the 2-dimensional floor objects for solid 3-dimensional objects or holes in the ground, and are deterred from crossing them. Motion-activated lights, such as are often installed outside, can be used indoors as another deterrent for the door exit area. However, it is important to keep in mind that these measures, while deterring your husband from exiting, may also serve to confuse or agitate him. So you may still need to guide him safely back to bed after he has “triggered” a safety mechanism.

Posted on January 25, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Dementia, Wandering | Tags: , , , , , ,