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Safely Home Turns Ten
A
decade of helping people with Alzheimer's disease
Leslie
Barrans slipped away from his care facility several times
between 2000 and 2004. "I would get the call
at work, telling me that Dad had gone missing," says
Elizabeth Healy. "It's very upsetting. Not
only was I extremely worried about him, but there was the
added stress of being called away from work," adds
Elizabeth who was an operating room nurse at the time.
"Safely Home™ made a real difference." Safely
Home -- Alzheimer Wandering Registry is marking its tenth
anniversary of assisting police and caregivers when someone
with the disease goes missing. Today there are more than
19,000 Canadians registered in the program.
[Note: The number of people registered as of May 1, 2006 is over 23,000.]
Safely
Home was launched across Canada in 1995 by the Alzheimer
Society of Canada in collaboration with the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP), Health Canada and the Solicitor
General. For a one-time fee of $25 the person's information
-- including personal history, physical characteristics
and places they are likely to visit -- is entered into
a confidential database that police throughout North America
can access. [Note: The registration fee for Safely Home was changed to $35 on April 1, 2006.] An identification bracelet and wallet cards
are provided to the person with Alzheimer's disease along
with a Caregiver Handbook for the family. A registration
number and the words "Memory Loss Call Police" are
on the bracelet.
It
was this bracelet that identified Leslie Barrans and
helped him get home safely. "On one occasion my father
was found asleep on the railroad tracks," exclaims
Healy. Another time he was sitting in the park, in the
pouring rain." On both of these occasions, he was
found by someone passing by. They followed the instructions
on his bracelet, and called police.
People
with Alzheimer's disease sometimes lose the ability to
recognize familiar places and to remember their own name
or address. It is estimated that up to 60 per cent of
people with Alzheimer's disease will become lost outside
their home. "This is an important issue for families," says
Stephen Rudin, executive director of the Alzheimer Society
of Canada. "People with Alzheimer's disease may not
recognize common dangers such as traffic or exposure to
the elements. They may also have other health concerns
that require regular medication. The longer they're
missing, the greater the risk. Time is an important factor
in getting them home safely."
"The greatest benefit of the Safely Home program," according
to Donna Watson-Elliott, Manager of the Ottawa Police Victims
Crisis Unit, "is that it gives us immediate information
about the person, a description, and any details about
their patterns. If a person is registered, we can access
the database and get useful information out to our network
fast. We're seeing an increase in this type of incident.
Now if someone isn't registered we take the time
to follow up with a letter and information on Safely Home.
We want people to know about this program."
People
with Alzheimer's disease don't usually set
out aimlessly; there are numerous factors that contribute
to a person's need to be on the move. These can include
frustration, a physical need that they aren't able
to express such as hunger or pain or they may be trying
to recreate a former routine such as going to work.
Elizabeth
Healy's father is now 90 years old. His
deteriorating health means that leaving the facility is
no longer as great a concern. Still, he remains registered
in Safely Home. "It's all about peace of mind," says
Healy.
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that destroys
vital brain cells. A person's
ability to think, remember, speak and even perform simple
tasks will be affected. The Alzheimer Society works nationwide
to improve the quality of life for Canadians affected by
Alzheimer's disease and to advance the search for the cause
and cure. To find out more or to register in Safely Home
contact your local Alzheimer
Society, the Alzheimer Society
of Canada at 1-800-616-8816 or visit www.alzheimer.ca.
The
Story is Changing
In the fight against Alzheimer's Disease
In
recent years significant advances have been made
in the treatment and understanding of Alzheimer's disease. Here are the top five according to the
Alzheimer Society:
- Alzheimer's disease is being diagnosed earlier. People
recognize the signs and doctors have better diagnostic
tools. (Visit www.alzheimer.ca for 10
early warning signs.)
- Treatments
are now available that can ease symptoms and
improve the quality of life.
- Stigma
around the disease is decreasing. People are
seeking help in support groups and speaking out
to increase awareness and understanding.
- New
or updated programs and services such as Safely
Home™ and on-line
resources offer help for those affected by the disease.
- More
than $3 million is invested annually by the Alzheimer
Society and its partners in research to find
a cause and a cure and to improve the lives
of those affected.
Although
important advancements have been made in
recent years the cause and a cure for this disease
remain unknown. An estimated 420,000 Canadians
over 65 currently have Alzheimer's disease or a related
dementia. As the population ages, Alzheimer's disease will have a devastating effect on the lives
of millions of Canadians as well as on the
economy, thus making this disease an urgent
research priority. |
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