Day 5 - Remember Dementia In November

 #RememberDementiaInNovember

 

Day 5 (11/7) – #SirsasanaII or #TripodHeadstand by @ski_yoga_guy (John)

! This helps to balance both hemispheres of the brain and the third eye chakra.

My sponsor related items I am wearing are the Alzheimer’s Association purple t-shirt and silicone awareness bracelet & heart bracelet on my right wrist (all part of my prize package); also on my right wrist is a beautifully crafted #hematite and #lapislazuli bracelet from @malas_by_  on my left wrist there is a lovely bracelet from @dazzle.dream and I am wearing my headband from @confusedgirlla.  In the background, I have some other items from our fabulous list of sponsors.  And as always I am on my @liforme #yogamat (they are not a sponsor, but I adore this mat!!)

#DementiaAwareness – Keeping the Home Safe For Loved Ones (Click on link in my bio)

Any of the information presented is NOT to be used as medical advice, please make sure if you suspect your loved one of having symptoms of dementia to seek medical attention.

See @farrahbrown (Farrah) for Day 6’s (Tuesday, 11/8) pose tomorrow night

 

AWARENESS

Day 5 – Keeping the Home Safe for Loved Ones

The National Center for Injury Prevention states that “falls are the leading cause of injury deaths in adults aged 65 and older” (American Geriatrics Society, 2016, p. 193).  The statistics also include that emergency departments see an older adult every 13 seconds as the result of a fall and deaths occur every 20 minutes because of a fall for older adults (American Geriatrics Society, 2016, p. 193).

Even though you are dealing with an adult, making the home safe is very similar to childproofing a home, including putting safety plugs in electric outlets; removing sharp objects, such as knives; minimizing tripping and falling hazards by removing cords on the floor, throw rugs, and any other items a person could potentially trip over; use childproof  locks on cabinets; remove oven and stove knobs or place protectors so they cannot be easily turned on; remove any matches or lighters; keep poisonous cleaning and other solutions locked away (American Geriatrics Society, 2016, p. 194).

The National Institute on Aging has a helpful guide that you can read or print out.  It offers ways to keep your loved one safe, room-by-room.  You can view it with the link below:

https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/home-safety-people-alzheimers-disease/introduction

Many people are probably familiar with the medical ID bracelets, necklaces, and such that help notify medical and emergency personnel if someone has medication or food allergies, serious medical conditions, etc.  The MedicAlert Foundation has worldwide affiliates in:

• Australia
• Canada
• Cyprus
• Iceland
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• United Kingdom
• Zimbabwe

This means that a loved one could utilize the medical ID services that would be beneficial in an emergency or if they were unable to communicate.  So far, only the United States and Canada have the add-on service for dementia clients.  In the United States, MedicAlert® and the Alzheimer’s Association have the Safe Return® program and in Canada, they have the Safely Home program, which is available through MedicAlert’s partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Canada.  These programs help engage a system involving local police, local Alzheimer’s Association chapters, and community resources to help return a loved one safely home in the event that they go missing.  Sixty percent of patients with dementia are “at risk for wandering and becoming lost” so paying for this feature with a medical ID can give families some reassurance (MedicAlert Foundation, 2016).

There are so many other important safety issues to take into consideration for your loved one, but this is a good place to start.  The community resources that I will be sharing on Day 8 of this challenge will also provide good tools and advice that you can utilize.

References

American Geriatrics Society (AGS). (2016). Alzheimer's & dementia for dummies. Hoboken, NJ:

           John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (Published simultaneously in Canada)

MedicAlert Foundation. (2016). Safe Return. Retrieved November 6, 2016 from

https://www.medicalert.org/add-on-services/masr