Tag: Wandering
Adult night-care service for Alzheimer’s patients who may wander
The Grand Rapids Press
Nighttime is when some Alzheimer’s patients are most restless, creating an anxious, sleepless time for caregivers who worry about their loved ones wandering.
“It is common for them to get their circadian rhythms off,” said Jean Van Den Beldt, administrator of Byron Center Manor, which plans to begin a new dawn-to-dusk activity program called Twilight Care.
The dementia-care and adult-day services community at 2115 84th St. SW is starting the program, which will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., to keep restless patients in a safe, stimulating environment. The cost is $120 per night.
via New service keeps restless Alzheimer’s patients busy at night | MLive.com.
Posted on July 23, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving | Tags: adult daycare, Alzheimer's, caregiver stress, Caregiving, Dementia, family caregiving, respite care, sundowning, Wandering
LoJack SafetyNet available in Marshfield, Mass., to find people with autism, Alzheimer’s who wander
The Marshfield Mariner
Marshfield —With training having been completed June 22, the Marshfield Police Department has officially added LoJack Safety Net to its public safety arsenal.
The program, which has been implemented by police and fire departments nationwide, will provide Marshfield officials the tools they need to swiftly track down and rescue those who have wandered from their caregivers.
“People who want to sign up can go online with LoJack Safety Net or come here,” said veteran Marshfield police officer Ralph Poland, who on a recent afternoon behind the police station learned first-hand — along with several other officers and firefighters — how to use the advanced tracking equipment.
Poland, who is helping to implement the program, said police and fire officials know that it only takes a moment for a resident with Alzheimer’s disease, autism or any other condition that may predispose them to do so to wander off or disappear. In North America alone, according to LoJack Safety Net figures, more than 5.8 million people have Alzheimer’s disease, and the majority may have a tendency to wander.
via Police, fire officers complete LoJack training – Marshfield, MA – Marshfield Mariner.
Posted on July 7, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Dementia, Down Syndrome | Tags: first responders, LoJack SafetyNet, Massachusetts, police, Wandering
Unified, Utah, offers monitors for those with cognitive conditions at risk of wandering
Salt Lake Tribune
The Unified Police Department is offering search monitors to people with cognitive conditions linked to wandering, such as Alzheimer’s, autism, Down syndrome and dementia.
The LoJack SafetyNet monitor emits a radio signal from a device worn on the ankle or wrist, police wrote in a news statement Monday. If the wearer is reported missing, officers can use the signal to find the person.
There is a $99 enrollment fee and a monthly fee of $30.
For more information, call 877-434-6384.
via Monitors offered for those with cognitive conditions – Salt Lake Tribune.
Posted on May 25, 2010 | 1 Comment | Category: Alzheimer's, Autism, Dementia, Down Syndrome | Tags: Alzheimer's, Autism, Dementia, Down Syndrome, LoJack SafetyNet, Wandering
Lower Merion, PA Police Captain Explains Why LoJack SafetyNet Will Benefit His Force and Community
The Lower Merion, PA Police Department is working in conjunction with the Main Line Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Main Line Program to implement LoJack SafetyNet, a new service that helps public safety agencies search for and rescue people at risk of wandering, including children with autism. The service will be available for caregivers and their loved ones living in Lower Merion Township and Narberth beginning in June 2010.
Captain John Dougherty of the Lower Merion Police Department discusses the value of LoJack SafetyNet and how it will help the Main Line community, as well as how it will benefit public safety agencies in their search and rescue operations
Captain John Dougherty of the Lower Merion Police Department gives examples of how LoJack SafetyNet will benefit his force in their search and rescue operations
Posted on May 20, 2010 | 1 Comment | Category: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Search and Rescue, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's, Autism, LoJack SafetyNet, Lower Merion County, Main Line Community, Wandering
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
LoJack SafetyNet Contest: Win $100 Spa Card!
LoJack SafetyNet wants to help caregivers keep children at risk of wandering safe with our SafetyNetSource.com Resource Center, which features valuable tips and forms for caregivers of children with autism or similar conditions. Materials include: a First Responders Form, Neighbor Form, and this tip sheet, 10 Ways to Help Protect Your Child From the Dangers of Wandering.
We know that caring for a child with a cognitive condition, such as autism or Down syndrome, that makes them prone to wandering is stressful. So we want to give you a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to spafinder.com … a well-deserved respite from your demanding schedule. To enter, help us spread the word about LoJack SafetyNet’s Resources by retweeting the @SafetyNetSource contest tweet on Twitter.
This contest is in recognition of Autism Awareness Month and runs through April. Here are the complete Rules and Regulations.
Posted on April 19, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism, Caregiving | Tags: Autism, Caregiving, contest, Wandering
LoJack SafetyNet tips to help protect children with autism from wandering
Autism is considered the fastest growing developmental disability, as it now affects one in every 100 children. A top concern among parents caring for a child with autism is wandering or “bolting.” Tragically, children with autism are often attracted to water sources such as pools, ponds, and lakes and, drowning is a leading cause of death for children with autism.
As part of its education initiative to help protect children with autism and in recognition that April is National Autism Awareness Month, LoJack Corporation offers the following tips from expert John Paul Marosy, General Manager of LoJack SafetyNet:
- Advise Local First Responders – Fill out a 9-1-1 Disability Indicator Form and submit it to your local law enforcement agency, which will alert police during an emergency that a person residing at that address may require special assistance.
- Inform Your Neighbors – Give them a handout with a picture of your child, physical characteristics, emergency contact information and details about how to effectively approach/communicate with and calm your child.
- Place STOP or DO NOT ENTER signs on doors – These powerful visual cues and reminders can help stop a child from bolting.
- Secure Your Home – Use deadbolt locks, keep doors and windows locked and install an alarm system/alert chimes on doors. Consider motion detectors and window bars.
- Teach Your Child to Swim – Because people with autism are drawn to water, such as pools, ponds and lakes, swimming lessons can be invaluable.
- Eliminate Triggers for Wandering – If your child has a fixation on certain sounds or objects that draw him/her to investigate and wander, eliminate those distractions.
- Get an ID Bracelet/Necklace – List emergency contact information on personal IDs and on tags for personal belongings.
- Use a Monitor/Camera at Bedtime – A sound or video monitor provides constant surveillance, even when you are in a different room.
- Install a Fence – Set latches high and out of reach on the outside of gates.
- Consider a Personal Tracking Device – A Radio Frequency device is ideal for people at risk of wandering because it has strong, silent signals that operate even if the child has wandered into a body of water, dense foliage, concrete garage or steel structure.
Posted on April 5, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: children with Autism, Wandering
Book Review | Lost: Trio linked in search for Alzheimer’s wanderer
The Columbus Dispatch
We haven’t seen many — or any — suspense novels where the plot revolves around the search for a person with Alzheimer’s disease who has wandered. But The Columbus Dispatch says author Alice Lichtenstein has done her research and that makes “Lost” worth reading.
Condensed to a sentence, Lost sounds like a suspense novel: Christopher, a 72-year-old former architect afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, wanders off into the snowy woods somewhere in the Northeast, and his wife and a team of rescuers try to find him.
via Book Review | Lost: Trio linked in redemptive search | The Columbus Dispatch.
Posted on March 26, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Search and Rescue | Tags: Alzheimer's, book, review, Wandering
LoJack SafetyNet launches new resource for caregivers of children with autism
LoJack SafetyNet
WESTWOOD, Mass.– In recognition that April is National Autism Awareness Month and to address a top concern among parents about wandering or “bolting,” LoJack Corporation today launched SafetyNetSource, its new information and resource center. SafetyNetSource offers a variety of valuable resources for caregivers of those with autism or Alzheimer’s, compelling content from across the web, access to the SafetyNetSource Twitter feed and YouTube channel, as well as a Facebook page to help caregivers communicate with one another and engage in a community of support.
The effort is part of LoJack’s initiative to educate people on issues related to autism and Alzheimer’s disease. To help protect people with these conditions, LoJack offers a service called LoJack SafetyNet that enables police and other public safety agencies to search for and rescue people at risk of wandering. “A key part of our mission at LoJack is to provide valuable solutions and resources that offer peace of mind for caregivers of people with autism and Alzheimer’s,” said John Paul Marosy, General Manager, LoJack SafetyNet. “That’s why we developed SafetyNetSource — to create a destination with new tools and information that help parents protect those they love from the dangers of wandering and enables caregivers to connect with one another.”
“My seven-year-old son wandered off once and I’ve never felt such desperation; it was terrifying,” said Madeline Gonzalez, mother of a child with autism. “But now that he’s protected with LoJack SafetyNet, I’m at peace knowing that if he goes missing, he can be found. We can go more places; do more things. LoJack SafetyNet doesn’t replace my responsibility as a parent, but it gives me comfort knowing he can be rescued. And now LoJack SafeyNetSource is providing us with resources that are both helpful and engaging. It’s a great help for my whole family.”
via April Is National Autism Awareness Month: — WESTWOOD, Mass., March 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ –.
Posted on March 25, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Dementia, Down Syndrome | Tags: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Wandering
LoJack SafetyNet expert to discuss the safety of children who wander in Boston
LoJack SafetyNet
LoJack SafetyNet’s John Paul Marosy, an eldercare expert and author of several caregiving books, will speak on “New Technologies & Techniques to Assure the Safety of Children with Cognitive Impairments Who Bolt or Wander” at The Federation for Children with Special Needs conference March 13 in Boston.
Marosy, General Manager of LoJack SafetyNet, will be joined by William Knight of the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department.
The event will take place at the World Trade Center in Boston. Get more information here.
Posted on March 10, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Uncategorized | Tags: children with Autism, Down Syndrome, LoJack SafetyNet, Wandering