Okay, it's happened.

[sue38]

Hi Gill,

How upsetting for you.

I don't know if this would be helpful for your Gran's situation, but the 'help cards' that have been piloted which have details of the person's condition and who to call if the person is found, seem to be a very simple but effective way of making sure that if they wander the right people are contacted.

I suppose the problem is making sure the person remembers to take the cards with them...

Sue

 

[Skye]

Hi Gill

I've done a google search for you, but can't find any reference to the 'Watch Me' system allylee mentioned. I can't find anything about it on TP either, but as you can only search on Watch, it throws up dozens of irrelevant posts.

Hopefully someone will come on who will know more about it. Sorry.

Love,

 

[Gill W]

Thanks, Sue.

How funny that you should suggest that. I have just been laid in a hot bath thinking about it all, and thought that maybe I could compose such a card myself on the pc, and get it laminated, and pop it in Gran's handbag when she's not looking.

I did wonder whether I should disclose on it that she has Alzheimer's Disease, or whether that could potentially lead to another hornets nest by letting some unscrupulous person know that she has dementia and make it more possible that they take advantage of her? I've spoken to mum about such a card before, but we did think there may be drawbacks with it.

It seems we just can't do right for doing wrong sometimes. I will run it past mum again tomorrow and see what she thinks.

Thanks for the suggestion,

Gill
XX

 

[Margarita]

could this be it ?

http://smarteconomy.typepad.com/smart_economy/2007/01/smart_house_for.html

 

[Skye]

Certainly looks like it, Maggie. Well done.

 

[Gill W]

Hazel,

Bless you for that, thank you so much. I can't seem to locate anything either, all Watch Me throws up is to do with children. And a Social Services search just throws links to sites that tell you SS are there to help the vulnerable and drivel like that. I know that to be total rubbish at the moment, so not even bothering to read it lol!

Margarita,

You are a star, honey, thank you so much. I'm taking a look at that now.

I can't tell you how good it feels to know that there are people in the world like the people in this forum. It's wonderful, so glad I joined.

 

[sue38]

The help card is the second item on the AS home page. Maybe I'm an optimist but I think most people who came across a person with AD would try to help?

Also we need to raise the awareness of the dreaded 'A' word so that people realise it is an illness like any other! OK am climbing off my soap box as I post...

Sue xx

 

[Grannie G]

Hi Gill,

I`ve printed a slip of paper with all contact details, and the fact my husband is diabetic and has Alzheimers. It`s small type, closely packed and a bit too much information for him to absorb. It is in a very small zipped pocket in his wallet, I think it`s really for postage stamps, and as far as I know, he`s unaware it`s there.

Would something like this help your gran.

With love

 

[Margarita]

Thanks hazel, your more then welcome Gill .

I just put in
Search


Watch me system for people with dementia

 

[Gill W]

Margarita,

The link is great, thank you so much.

Sylvia, and Sue,

I think it may be the best thing to do at the moment, putting a card in her bag. I would like to think that no one would take advantage of her, and yes, we certainly need to be raising awareness of Alzheimers.

Do you think it would be useful to put the police telephone number on it too, so that they could at least log the times when Gran's gone walkies, so that we have something to throw at SS as evidence? I wonder if we're able to ask the police to to drive by her house on occasions? Although there would be no sign of life if Gran was in bed and asleep I guess. So therefore they'd not suspect anything if Gran went out and shut the door behind her. Wake up Gill, stupid thought.

The light nights of spring are not helping either, I did say to mum the other day that this could be another cause of wandering. Gran has no perception of time anymore, and doesn't know day from night. When she was brought home from her wandering the other week, she told the police she thought it odd that everybody seemed to be in bed, it was 4a.m

I think I'll try to compose something and make several of them so that we can keep replacing them if Gran finds them and files them under 'B' for bin!

Gill
XX

 

[jenniferpa]

While I think some form of wandering alert sounds like a good idea, I have to say I don't have a lot of faith in technological solutions to these sort of problems (and this is from a person who seriously considered putting in CCTV so should could see what was happening ) Until it's possible to permanently attach a tracking device to someone (and I vaguely remember a while ago that someone tried to promote such a device on the board before they got tossed off) it's only too easy for them to be circumvented. When our loved ones (well not mine, now) are quite capable of wandering off in their nighties, the chances of them taking anything with them that gives their name and situation is quite small. I have seen on an american site a full size door poster that looks like a book case: the theory is that they won't recognise it's an outside door, but I don't know if that's wishful thinking. I did try a motion detector alarm at one point, but it just confused my mother even more (as, to be honest, did every tech solution I tried).

Just something to think about.

Jennifer

 

[Gill W]

Thanks Jennifer,

I see what you're saying.

The first time Gran went walkies, she left her handbag in the house but had her purse on her. Although when we asked what she'd needed her purse for, she told us it wasn't hers, she didn't know whose it was. So I can see that a card in her bag may be no use.

The AD site fact sheets suggests sewing it into coats, or something similar, which may be an idea, but when Gran went the first time, she had no coat on, just a jumper that was as much use warmth wise as an ashtray on a motorbike. So that one may be no good either.

Oh for a flash of inspiration......can't find anything useful with Google.

Gill
XX

 

[sue38]

My dad also has trouble with time. He has always been up with the lark but now has great difficulty in understanding why other people (in particular my Mum for whom there has only ever been one 7 o'clock in the day ) is not up at 4 a.m.

I have looked at calendar clocks which give the date, day and whether is it is a.m. or p.m. but don't think these are quite right for someone with dementia.

If I could design one that said 'it's still night time - go back to bed' this would be a godsend.

Sue xx

 

[Grannie G]

You can get jewellry, either as a pendant or bracelet, containing a slip of paper to write details of conditions. It is called S O S jewellry.

The only problem is whether or not it would be accepted and safe.

 

[Skye]

If I could design one that said 'it's still night time - go back to bed' this would be a godsend.

When you design it, I'd like one please. And can it also say, 'no, you can't go to bed at six o'clock'.

 

[hawaii50]

Hi Gill
So sorry to read about your gran. No wonder you feel so frustrated. I have come to believe that no-one understands what AD is all about unless you have had to care for someone who suffers from it. Our loved ones have somehow figured out how to be so plausible for visitors and revert immediately they leave that it is quite unbelievable at times!!
Anyway I just wanted to suggest that if you want to complain about SS try writing a letter to your local MP. I have involved mine a few times - sometimes successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully. If the law is on your side and SS aren't complying MP's can help a lot. They write to the department involved and SS have to respond to them with their reasons. The MP then writes back to you with a response.
My father had terrible care in the hospital after his stroke before he died a few years ago and I used the MP - we did get a lot of help after that. I wont bore you with the details of the other times I have written to them but it is now my first line of response if I believe that we are being shortchanged.
Hang on in there - I am sure your mum really appreciates your support to relieve her burden of looking out for her mum. You are obvioiusly a caring granddaughter and daughter. Bless you.

 

[jenniferpa]

That device I was talking about used a GPS chip and a combination lock (I think) to "lock" a bracelet to the wrist. Of course, if I'd used something like that on my mother she'd have a) done her level best to get it off and b) been totally distressed about it. Apart from something like my dog has (a chip imbedded under the skin), I can't think of anything that is totally fool proof. It's the one blessing I have now: she can't walk so no chance of wandering off.

Jennifer

 

[Gill W]

A friend has told me about the SOS jewellry today, she mentioned a necklace, but I'm not sure we could get Gran to wear it. She has the red pull cord system thingy(! can't remember the damned name of it! bad sign or what?!) and has a necklace to wear with a button on it, but she point blank refuses to wear it, on the grounds that it's too easy to press it by accident.

I remember a few years ago when Gran went down the stairs and broke her wrist, and she'd struggled to get to the phone to ring mum and ask what to do. If she'd been wearing the pendant then, she'd have been able to press the button. At the time she accepted that it would be a good idea, but does she wear it?.....

Thinking on the Watch Me system, I think that its a good idea, but I can see a certain amount of futility in it too. Yes, we'll be able to see where she is at what time of day, etc., but is there someone sitting watching over these systems at all times? My belief is that if she's up and about downstairs at stupid o'clock, and movement suddenly ceases, then we can presume she either (a) left the house or (b) fell asleep in the chair or something. If action was taken every time movement ceased downstairs, we may have someone running around like headless chickens on the chance that she may have left the house? When actually she's asleep in her chair, you know? Bit of a chew for someone really. Mum tells me they are programmed for normal activity, and if she does appear downstairs at a daft time of night, something is activated that alerts someone at the other end. Is her understanding correct? This is why I was trying to look into it a bit deeper, but I can't seem to find anything that will tell me more.

Thanks everyone for the ideas, though. Mum's talking to SS again today, will come back and let you know what the upshot is when she's got in touch with me.

It's a wonder we're not all bald and frazzled to death with the stress of this disease, I think everyone deserves a medal for all they do.

Gill
XX

 

[Skye]

It's a wonder we're not all bald and frazzled to death with the stress of this disease, I think everyone deserves a medal for all they do.

Now where did I leave my wig?