Dementia Safety Precautions

“Mary” posted a question to an on-line caregiver-group that I want to share with all of you:

“How do I keep my parent, who’s suffering from dementia, safe while I’m at work?” – Mary

Here are some suggestions from the Alzheimer’s Association brochure, “Staying Safe”:

• Be sure to have working fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in the house.  Test them regularly.
• If you are out of the home during the day, use appliances with an auto shut-off feature, such as coffee pots.
• Install a hidden gas valve or circuit breaker on the stove so your loved one can’t turn it on.  You can also consider removing the knobs when you leave the house.
• Store grills, lawn mowers, power tools, knives, firearms and cleaning products in a secure (that means locked) place.
• Discard toxic plants and decorative fruit that may be mistaken for real food.
• Store medications, vitamins, and other dietary supplements in a locked cupboard.  Remove sugar substitutes and seasonings from kitchen tables and counters.
• Supervise the use of tobacco and alcohol.  Both may interact dangerously with your patient’s medications.

Dementia & Wandering

More than 60 percent of dementia patients will wander.  The danger is that they can become lost and die before they’re found.  The Alzheimer’s Association recommends the use of their MedicAlert-Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return program.  There are other, similar programs available, which you can find on-line.

Even if your dementia patient is equipped with one of these tracking devices, prevention is still the best plan:

• Short term memory loss can cause anxiety and confusion in a place that’s large or contains lots of people, such as the market, a theater, a restaurant, a shopping mall or sports venue.  That confusion can cause patients to wander off in search of something that will quiet their sense of panic.  The best strategy is to keep away from places that will induce this behavior.
• Be on alert for wandering if your loved one wants to “go to work” or “go home,” if he or she is restless or has a hard time locating familiar place in the home such as the bedroom or bathroom.
• Other ways to prevent wandering include placing deadbolt locks on exterior doors either high or low, and controlling access to the car keys.

One of the best things you can do when your patients are showing signs of anxiety which may lead to wandering is to give them plenty of assurance that you will not leave them alone.  Try distracting them by giving them repetitive tasks, like folding laundry or helping prepare dinner.

Keeping your dementia patient safe is really a matter of being aware of their reactions and anticipating problems before they actually occur.

Blessings, Joanne

*photo - freedigitalphotos.net

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, six of every 10 dementia patients will wander.  When they do, their lives are at risk.   And yet, how many of you caregivers of (elderly) dementia patients are prepared to deal with the reality of this dangerous potential?

Too often, I hear a statement like “Well dad hasn’t tried to wander off yet, so we don’t need to worry about that right now.”  The problem is that there’s no way to know when dad will wander off.  It makes sense to be proactive to prevent wandering rather than wait for disaster to strike.

A recent story in the Los Angeles Times reported a 92-year-old dementia patient whose family was in denial about the possibility of him wandering.  When he did, he was lost for nearly 24 hours.  The story had a happy ending when he was found, tired, hungry and dehydrated, but safe.  Sadly, not all of the stories end that way.

In this case, the family was convinced that even though their loved one was suffering from dementia, he wouldn’t wander.  They all went to dinner in a large restaurant and let him go to the restroom alone.  He didn’t come back. “He kind of has dementia,” said one of his relatives.  “He might not have remembered that he was with us or where he was.”

Oh brother.  Without dealing with the denial of reality (in those statements), let’s just focus on the fact that as a person with dementia, he has significant short-term memory loss.  He can be easily confused in surroundings where there are large groups of unfamiliar people.  Obviously he could’nt remember he was with family in the large and unfamiliar restaurant.  And likewise, he didn’t know where he was… so he went in search of “home.”

“He kind of has dementia” – (Family member of wandering dementia patient)

Don’t wait until something like this happens to your loved one.  Take action now.

The Alzheimer’s Association (1-800-272-3900) has some terrific information to help you make sure your loved one will stay safe.  In addition, there are now tracking devices, smartphones, dumb phones, and apps for seniors that can be tracked from your smart phone, tablet or computer.  Type “tracking devices for dementia patients” into your search engine and you’ll be amazed at the number of products that are available.

Blessings, Joanne