If a north Texas senior you love lives with Alzheimer’s disease, keeping them safe can be a challenge. Wandering is often high on the list of concerns for caregivers and for good reason. The statistics on wandering are frightening.
Research shows that when someone with Alzheimer’s disease wanders, the first 24 hours are critical. Every hour beyond that makes it less likely the senior will return home safe and sound. Having a plan in place to help first responders launch the search for your loved one throughout the Dallas and Fort Worth areas is the key.
One way to do that is by creating an Alzheimer’s Wandering Kit.
5 Items to Include in an Alzheimer’s Wandering Kit
While no family caregiver likes to think a loved one who has Alzheimer’s will wander away from their north Texas home. The reality is 60% of people with the disease will wander at some point during their illness.
Should this happen to your family, having an Alzheimer’s Wandering Kit prepared and ready to distribute will save precious time.
Here are 5 items you should include:
- Written description: Having a physical description of your senior loved one is important. Include their weight, height, eye color, and hair color. Also be sure to note any distinguishing marks or features your senior loved one has such as a scar, birth mark or tattoo.
- Current photos: Be sure to include recent photos of your loved one from several angles. If something about their appearance changes, such as a change in hair style or weight loss, take new pictures. Digital photos that can be emailed to the media and used to create printed flyers help spread the word throughout the north Texas community more quickly.
- Medical information: Because adults with Alzheimer’s disease often struggle with verbal communication skills, they might not be able to communicate important medical information to first responders when they are found. This is why it is important to include medical history, allergies, and health problems like diabetes or cardiac disease in the kit.
- Vehicle description: Some adults with early Alzheimer’s may continue to drive despite a family’s best efforts to prevent that. It isn’t uncommon for them to become disoriented and unable to find their way home from once familiar places. It’s why we recommend you include a description of their car in your wandering kit. Make note of the color, make, model and license plate number.
- Possible destinations: While the senior may not have a true destination in mind when they wander, it might still be helpful to list any familiar places they remember. It could be their church, former employer or family home. Having a few starter points may help searchers get started.
Sharing Your Alzheimer’s Wandering Kit
After you have assembled this information, share copies of it with other family members who are involved in your loved one’s care. If you have a smart phone, keep a copy on your phone. Your goal is to make the information easy to quickly access.
If the time comes when you don’t feel confident that you can keep a loved one with Alzheimer’s safe in their Dallas or Fort Worth area home, please contact us. We can help you find a Memory Care community that best meets their needs. Please call us today at 214-929-5055 to learn more.
Senior Living Specialists is a free service for seniors and their families. We are compensated by a referral fee when a senior moves into a community or care home.
