January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and while there’s currently no cure, there are methods for families who are taking care of loved ones who suffer from the disease.
With gaps in our services for those diagnosed with dementia, it can be hard for primary caregivers — which is why Home Instead Senior Care has launched its Missing Senior Network tool across Canada.
“It’s the thing you hope you never need to use, but it’s a platform to alert family, friends, businesses, places where your loved one may wander to,” Greg Charyna, a Home Instead Senior Care owner in Saskatoon, said on Tuesday.
“The protocol from the Alzheimer’s association is if you can’t find your person after 15 minutes, then to call the police and report them as a vulnerable person with dementia who’s gone missing and to use this senior network tool to alert your friends and family via text or email.”
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The website is streamlined to make the process simple for families and individuals to sign up. Simply log-in, open an account, list your friends and family along with their contact information and then all pertinent information is available at “the push of a button,” according to Charyna.
For those supporting a loved one living with dementia, there are steps that can be taken if they are prone to wandering. It’s important to remember that wandering is not a random act, according to Charyna.
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“These people are often depending on their situation – they’re trying to go home, they’re trying to go to work … they’re doing these things that are deeply ingrained habits. Sometimes they are trying to avoid over-stimulation if there’s something going on in their place, like loud noises or activity.”
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Some other tips to prevent wandering include making a path in the home where it is safe to wander, building barriers or fences in the yard, keeping walkways well-lit, keeping medications in locked drawers and removing tripping hazards like cords.
For more information on the Missing Senior Network go to its website or visit Home Instead Senior Care located in Market Mall.
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