Tagging dementia sufferers

bernie

Registered User
Jul 28, 2005
52
0
south london
Just read that the science minister has proposed the tagging of dimension sufferers.

To me this is a great idea provided the tag is discreet, more like a bracelet and done selctively. Presumably the tag will send a signal similar to the one used to locate the position of motor cars.

This would hopefully make it easier to track "wanderers", don't know how much it will cost or who foots the bill, it is the first time I have heard of this idea and am surprised nobody came up with it before.
 

Lila13

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
1,342
0
Yes, it has been mentioned before.

The problem is, who would be monitoring them? If it had been my mother I would have been 3 hours away, and if she wandered at night could not possibly get there in time, I could only phone emergency services and would they have enough staff to go and investigate every time she "went out for a walk"?

She had a red button hanging round her neck to press in case of a fall or other
emergency but that depended on her remembering to wear it and remembering what it was for.
 

noelphobic

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
3,452
0
Liverpool
I can see the advantages but it does have a feeling of 'Big Brother' about it - and I don't mean the reality TV show :D What's next - microchipping people or tatooing their medical condiitions on their forehead ? :eek: People with dementia could wear medic alert jewellery which people use for all kinds of medical conditions. I know that wouldn't help you find them if they got lost but it can be of some help.
 

Natashalou

Registered User
Mar 22, 2007
426
0
london
It could work

very well for some people in some circumstances. My mother is currently in a nursing home where she hasnt settled at all and as time goes on I really begin to wonder if its right she should spend her remaining years so unhappy.
what she really wants is to live with me and although at the moment this is impractical, in six months time I will be made redundant and then it possibly could be.
However I would certainly welcome the peace of mind to be able to go shopping or out for the evening knowing she was being monitored.
I assume this would be done via a central control centre in the same way that community alarms are currently monitored. Im sure there would have to be a means tested fee for this service , after all it seems nothing is ever free!
i fully accept for many people this wont work but I think there is a lot of mileage in this idea and i for one will be very interested in developments .
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
What's next - microchipping people or tatooing their medical condiitions on their forehead ?

microchipping sounds good to me , better safe then sorry .

Good idea to me if they had the technology to do that , also they could link it to a laptop at the carer home if they live far away , then you could press sometime that would send a signal to the brain to make them go home and sleep , ok a bit of science fiction going on hear , but if they could one day invent a chip that could work the damage signal in the brain , sending another signal to vaporises the disease.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,462
0
Kent
Hi Natasha,

I`m sorry your mother seems so unhappy in her NH and it`s so upsetting for you.

Think back though, was she happy before she went into the NH. From what I remember of your posts, she was just as confused and agitated.
 

Tash

Registered User
Jan 8, 2007
251
0
43
London, UK
Hi all,

Just a note to say that Louise, one of our policy officers, has created a thread about developing and updating our electronic tagging policy in the raising awareness forum here.

The Jeremy Vine show (on BBC radio) is also currently running a phone-in about electronic tagging. More details in Louise's post.

Best wishes
Tash

New Media Support Officer
Alzheimer's Society
 

Natashalou

Registered User
Mar 22, 2007
426
0
london
Well

Grannie G said:
Hi Natasha,

I`m sorry your mother seems so unhappy in her NH and it`s so upsetting for you.

Think back though, was she happy before she went into the NH. From what I remember of your posts, she was just as confused and agitated.

its odd you know...she hasnt been happy the last 40 years, really. I had no idea dementia set in early until I joined this wonderfully informative place, but I now genuinly wonder if some of the things that I found so very strange as a child were the very very early signs of her illness.
I think perhaps the difference now is she has a firm reason to fix on to for her unhappiness and someone (me) to blame for it..before the only person to really blame for her situation was herself.
sometimes (and i know I have hijacked this thread now, sorry) I wonder if part of the reasons i have so much difficulty dealing with her and the situation now is there are so few happy memories of her as a younger woman and mother.
however , she IS my mother however she may have behaved and I will still always try to do my best for her.
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
I wonder if part of the reasons i have so much difficulty dealing with her and the situation now is there are so few happy memories of her as a younger woman and mother

I think your right, I came up with that conclusion as in: ( happy memories )that is was happening in my situation with my mother , its so hard to put the past in the part when caring for my mother as my mother is my past in my face so to speak , when she trigger of memories of not so happy memorires from my childhood , tennagers year the lot

yes in the past I did a lot of self analyzing . well my life was in such a mess , thought I could only work on myself to help myself , because I can tell you no one else was going to do it for me .

I don’t feel my mother is the woman she was in the past , AZ has rob her of that, because if she was the same we would still be arguing like cat/ dog , so sometime mum pop up and I think ok argue with yourself , same I never learn that aptitude when I was younger , maybe I relationship would have been better, but then I don't think so :) I don't care any more , have slowly learn to move on .

she IS my mother however she may have behaved and I will still always try to do my best for her.
same with my

its odd you know...she hasnt been happy the last 40 years, really. I had no idea dementia set in early until I joined this wonderfully informative place,

how old is your mother ?
 
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Natashalou

Registered User
Mar 22, 2007
426
0
london
79

my mother is 79, i simply chose 40 as Im almost 40 and I have no memories whatsoever of her being anything other than miserable. .it may well go back even furthur than that!! I do understand some of the reasons behind all this, and I now know to try and get furthur into all the things that happened would be fruitless, partly because she probably doesnt even remember much of it any more, but mainly because to try and press her on events of so long ago would, now, almost consitute bullying.
My sister has dealt with it all by, after many years of conflict, simply walking away. I just wish I had some happy memories of her, but I dont. I owe her a duty to do what I can by her because she is my mother.
When I cry helplessly it is as much for the past as for the present and what she has now become..
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
like you say
and I now know to try and get furthur into all the things that happened would be fruitless

partly because she probably doesnt even remember much of it any more


yes that right


I don't see it myself as bullying. , my children ask me a lot of Question about my past , I feel so they can make since of the present situation they see me in . ( sorry just read you where refering to bullying asking as in now with your mother )


its just that my mother sister open up more to me into my mother upbring , I was aksing them both only because I wanted Closure , This was Just a few mouths before my mother was diagnosed with AZ , I new my mother never like talking about her upbring anyway to much anger going on in side of her about that , But her sister would open up more to me .
 
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Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,462
0
Kent
My sister has dealt with it all by, after many years of conflict, simply walking away. I just wish I had some happy memories of her, but I dont. I owe her a duty to do what I can by her because she is my mother.
When I cry helplessly it is as much for the past as for the present and what she has now become..[/QUOTE]

Oh Natasha, how I understand. Your words could have been written by me.
 

Tender Face

Account Closed
Mar 14, 2006
5,379
0
NW England
Natashalou said:
When I cry helplessly it is as much for the past as for the present and what she has now become..

... and what we never had and now never will ....

Natasha, Sylvia, Maggie .... no words ... just great big sobbing hugs ........

Love, Karen, x
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Karen (((big hug back xxx)))))))




I don’t mean to go on about this , but since , the move in to this house all was ok with mum not confused no her sounding , just that what my younger daughter keep bring to my attention in how strange my mother is becoming , as in when I pop , I have to make sure I lock the door from the outside (we have some wired security lock) if I don’t lock it, my daughter says my mother keeps wondering up down opening front door looking for me even thought , she sitting her, I go to the kitchen she following me demanding food .

Now all this behaviour use to happen in Gibraltar , then she was given medication for AZ and it all stop, now with this dame move as I said to my daughter it seem like she going back to in how she was in Gibraltar . Then someone told me that they look after they mother for 19 years, more then her mother had look after her, because she left home at 16.

I think god can’t take 19 years of it , I am only in my 5 year and I feel its effecting my other area of my life , as in my mind , thinking , some time I wake up in the morning feeling like I am derange woman , looking up in the dictionary what does derange real mean that took me to look up what mad mean that lead me to insane , then to foolish , then to sense , thought by then yes I have lost the plot , so shall be a happy go lucky (as if) cheerfully unconcerned about the future , sounds good to me .

Better go , sea of souls is on BBC1 .
 

Natashalou

Registered User
Mar 22, 2007
426
0
london
I think

I think its pretty amazing you have cared for 5 years and I have nothing but admiration for everyone who is coping with caring at home.
A year ago my mother became ill, at that stage it wasnt dementia, just general old age conditions and some short term memory. She was living 70 miles away and I was visiting her 4 days in every 14, I was worried all the time what my teenagers were doing at home as they refused to come with me, and all my mother did was moan and if I went to the shops for her moan how long I had been even if I was ten minutes.
Then when I got home ask when I was coming back and phone phone phone, why this why that and every time I explain the next day the same questions til I want to scream "I have told you!!"
Then finally all my work holiday ran out and I said I cant come as much but she can stay at Christmas, then when she comes she moans again about my house, my children, why this why that. Then after all this fuss about hating my house she doesnt want to go home again!
Then she has a fall and breaks her pelvis, goes to hospital and ends up here in london in a nursing home, and when I visit she cries and moans about everything, then when I dont visit she gets the staff to ring me up, where am I why arent I there, the whole thing drived me mad and Im not even caring for her!
She wants to come and live with me (although she hates my house and where I live) and although I sometimes think maybe I then think I would truly go insane it would be so awful. I dont know how any of you do it I really dont.
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
A year ago my mother became ill, at that stage it wasnt dementia, just general old age conditions and some short term memory. She was living 70 miles away and I was visiting her 4 days in every 14, I was worried all the time what my teenagers were doing at home as they refused to come with me, and all my mother did was moan and if I went to the shops for her moan how long I had been even if I was ten minutes.
Then when I got home ask when I was coming back and phone phone phone, why this why that and every time I explain the next day the same questions til I want to scream "I have told you!!"
Then finally all my work holiday ran out and I said I cant come as much but she can stay at Christmas, then when she comes she moans again about my house, my children, why this why that. Then after all this fuss about hating my house she doesnt want to go home again!


I can not believe it , its like reading my story 5 years ago , just that my mother was 1 mile away .

All I can say is that if I had TP back then , I wonder if My life would of been Different.
I suppose we all have different journey in life and I admire you as much as you admire me , because your word that you post are a great support for me .

I would truly go insane

:D I went insane thank-god for my brother CPN keeps telling me I am Not :D.
 
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springtime

Registered User
Apr 25, 2007
10
0
Milton Keynes
springtime

I have cared for people with memory loss under/over the age of 65. I have also supported family carers for many years as a volunteer and through my work. The biggest fear that many carers face is losing someone through getting lost. I have known people to die because they were not found in time. Can you imagine the heartbreak and pain for the person concerned and their loved ones? I do not think that everyone with memory loss should be monitored - everyone needs to be treated as an individual. I know someone who was lost for several hours but was able to find his/her way home. A problem may have occured if that person had collapsed from walking for several hours. What happens when a physically fit person keeps leaving the house in the night and the carer has mobility problems? People that are very mobile can disappear within minutes! Even in my work capacity I worry about some of my clients getting lost but for familes the worry is horrendous and believe me I have heard their fears. I personally would be relieved if I knew that someone I cared for could be found easily through a monitoring sytem should they go missing after a certain time.But we must remember that everyone must be treated as an individual - that memory loss effects people very differently. That we should all have freedom of choice unless we are putting ourselves in grave danger and are not aware of that fact.
 
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