Tag: safety
LoJack SafetyNet Philadelphia leadership forum on wandering, safety
Pictured (from left to right) are John Paul Marosy, LoJack SafetyNet; Councilman-at-large Jack Kelly; Mayor Michael A. Nutter; Kathy Kelleher, LoJack SafetyNet; Michael Tuckerman, Founder of Keeping Individuals Safe and Sound (KISS); and Michal Fandel, LoJack SafetyNet.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and City Councilman-at-Large Jack Kelly spoke at a Leadership Forum on Assuring the Safety of Persons Who Wander sponsored by LoJack SafetyNet on April 29. More than 50 leaders from healthcare and human service agencies in the Philadelphia area gathered for the event. Mayor Nutter praised the progress of the city-wide public-private partnership involving the city’s police department, community organizations, and LoJack Corporation. Police Commissioner Ramsey echoed the Mayor’s comments and praised Councilman-at-Large Jack Kelly and parent/activist Michael Tuckerman for bringing the service to the city.
John Paul Marosy of LoJack SafetyNet
Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter
Posted on May 13, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Wandering | Tags: LoJack SafetyNet, Philadelphia, safety, Wandering
New guidelines issued on elderly driving after dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis
ABC News
Having mild dementia is no longer a reason to take away an elderly person’s car keys, according to newly revised guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology.
Citing new evidence that 76 percent of drivers with dementia could still pass on-road skills tests, the AAN changed guidelines that previously discouraged any driving once someone was diagnosed with mild dementia or Alzheimer’s. The updated guidelines were unveiled an the AAN’s annual meeting in Toronto.
via New Guidelines Issed On Elderly Driving After Dementia Or Alzheimer’s Diagnosis – ABC News.
Posted on April 13, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Dementia | Tags: Alzheimer's, Dementia, driving, safety
Fire safety book for children with autism
KOTV
The National Fire Protection Association has a new fire safety book for children with autism. It has been reviewed by autism educators and encourages parents to develop a fire safety plan with their autistic kids. Here’s a report from KOTV:
QUINCY, MASS – A new, interactive fire safety book has been designed to help children with autism spectrum disorder respond appropriately to the sound of a smoke alarm.
“I Know My Fire Safety Plan,” produced by The National Fire Protection Association NFPA, can also be helpful to children with other developmental disabilities, according to Lisa Braxton of the NFPA public education project.
“Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability. It is important that we reach children on the autism spectrum and encourage parents and caregivers to use this new NFPA educational tool to help children understand what they should do to escape safely when they hear the smoke alarm sound,” Braxton said.
The book uses easy-to-follow steps in a story format, acknowledging the apprehension children with autism may feel at the sound of a smoke alarm or presence of fire trucks and firefighters.
Posted on March 15, 2010 | 1 Comment | Category: Autism, Caregiving | Tags: books, children with Autism, first responders, safety
Understanding and preventing Alzheimer’s wandering
MayoClinic.com
Alzheimer’s disease can erase a person’s memory of once-familiar surroundings and make adaptation to new surroundings extremely difficult. As a result, people with Alzheimer’s sometimes wander away from their homes or care centers and turn up — lost, frightened and disoriented — far from where they started, often long after they disappeared.
Three out of four people with Alzheimer’s will wander at some point during the course of the disease. Wanderers who get lost outdoors may become injured or even die of exposure. This risk increases dramatically if the weather is very cold or very hot.
via Alzheimer’s: Understand and control wandering – MayoClinic.com.
Posted on February 8, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, safety, Wandering
Keeping Alzheimer’s patients safe from life-threatening wandering
This winter, a number of Alzheimer’s patients in the U.S. and Canada have died while wandering — either by getting hit by cars or freezing to death.
LoJack SafetyNet General Manager John Paul Marosy, elder care expert and author of several caregiver books, offers the following advice, “There is no one single strategy that can protect loved ones with Alzheimer’s from wandering.The most effective approach involves multiple strategies, which in combination deliver the best protection for the person with Alzheimer’s and peace of mind for the caregiver.”
TIPS: Here is Marosy’s 10 Step Approach:
PROVIDE INFORMATION TO HELP WITH SEARCH AND RESCUE:
- Advise Local Responders First – Fill out a 911 disability indicator form and submit it to your local law enforcement agency. The information on the form alerts law enforcement that a person residing at that address may require special assistance during an emergency. Also, fill out a more detailed handout with this information that you can provide to first responders and search and rescue personnel in the event of a wandering incident.
- Inform Your Neighbors – Give your neighbors a similar handout with a picture of the person you are caring for, physical characteristics and emergency contact information. You may want to describe the person’s fears, habits and explain how to best communicate with and calm them. Ask them to contact you immediately if they see this person wandering outside their home.
- Tag Personal Items – List emergency contact information on tags in shoes and on clothing in case your loved one does wander.
SAFEGUARD THE LIVING SPACE – INSIDE AND OUT
- Hide Triggers that Might Encourage Departure – Remove items such as hats, coats, boots, scarves, keys and suitcases that may prompt your loved one to go outside.
- Hang a “Do Not Enter” Sign on the Door – This sign may help redirect and discourage the wanderer from opening the door.
- Install a Fence Around Your Property – Set latches on the outside of gates and ensure they are in an area where the person you are caring for can’t reach them.
- Use Simple Monitors, Remote Alerts and Locks – Attach monitors to the door that detects when it opens; use a caregiver chime alert unit, which sounds when the door is open; combine these with locks on all doors including front, garage and basement.
REGISTER AND/OR ENROLL IN PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE A SAFE RESCUE
- Register Your Loved One’s Information – With information registered in a secure database, such as the National Silver Alert Program, emergency responders are provided with critical information necessary in the event of a wandering incident or a medical emergency.
- Consider an Identification Bracelet – An ID bracelet, like the one offered through the Alzheimer’s Association’s MedicAlert + Safe Return program, helps the police or a Good Samaritan get a missing person back home safely or medical attention.
- Consider a Program that Offers a Personal Tracking Device – Programs that feature personal tracking devices, such as LoJack SafetyNet, are a good way to help protect and locate someone in the event they do wander and give peace of mind to a caregiver. A Radio Frequency device is ideal for people at risk of wandering because, unlike GPS devices, it has strong signals that can penetrate water, dense foliage, concrete buildings and steel structures.
Posted on February 4, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Dementia, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's, LoJack SafetyNet, safety, Wandering
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: Alzheimer's, alzheimers wandering, Caregiving, caregiving stress, family caregiving, safety, Wandering
Room For Special Kids: Hotel Offers A Suite With Autism In Mind
Wichita Eagle
TENAFLY, N.J. —All the glassware in the Alpine Suite at the Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly is unbreakable — the wine glasses, the water tumblers, even the glass in the cabinet doors.
The furniture has rounded corners with soft bumpers. A round table has replaced a square one. Flower vases and other decor have been glued down. The iron is stored behind a safety lock and the windows are locked. The television is fixed securely to the wall, instead of sitting on a credenza, as in other guest rooms.
Everything in the suite has been designed to give peace of mind to guests who have children with autism.
via Room For Special Kids: Hotel Offers A Suite With Autism In Mind | Travel | Wichita Eagle.
Posted on January 5, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism, Caregiving | Tags: Autism, Caregiving, children with Autism, family caregiving, safety, travel, Wandering
LoJack SafetyNet Podcast: Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
LoJack SafetyNet
In recognition of November as National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, LoJack hosted an educational podcast that provides valuable information related to Alzheimer’s including:
· The rising incidence of Alzheimer’s in the U.S.
· Common day-to-day challenges faced by people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers
· Risks such as the common, yet life-threatening issue of wandering and steps caregivers can take to protect loved ones
· Advice for caregivers on building a strong support network
· Valuable online resources for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s
The podcast addressed these subject matters with a panel of experts, including Gerald Flaherty, Vice President for Medical & Scientific Programs at the Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association; Jill Gilbert, Vice President at Caring.com; and John Paul Marosy, General Manager at LoJack SafetyNet.
via LoJack SafetyNet Podcasts: Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
Posted on November 3, 2009 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Dementia, Wandering | Tags: LoJack SafetyNet, podcast, safety
Elderly Care – Top Safety Products for Seniors
Good Housekeeping
Safety devices for your parents’ home can help you delay or avoid hiring personal caregivers. The best also help seniors steer clear of residential dangers deemed most common by the Home Safety Council: falls, poisoning, and fires and burns.
via Elderly Care – Products for Aging Adults – Goodhousekeeping.com.
Posted on October 20, 2009 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Dementia | Tags: safety
Safe environment may help ease Alzheimer’s aggression
Newsday
Aggression – which can include verbal or physical violence – often emerges without warning, experts said, and is one of the most troublesome behavioral changes. It can sometimes be triggered by the agitation and frustration that often accompanies dementia. Such behavior can also be caused by a change in surroundings, experts said, or having too much or too little stimulation or talking.
Experts advise that caregivers address aggression by first maintaining a safe environment, removing dangerous objects, providing space to the person who is upset and speaking to them in a soothing voice. Next they should try to figure out the cause of the behavior and make attempts to address it, whether it be altering the environment or focusing on a new activity that does not upset the person.
Sometimes the aggression can be caused by a physical discomfort that the person with Alzheimer’s is unable to verbalize. Because of this, caregivers need to consult a doctor and look for underlying medical causes, experts said.
via Safe environment may help ease Alzheimer’s aggression.
Posted on October 9, 2009 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving | Tags: safety