Has anyone used the Medic Alert + Safe Return program. It sounds like a good idea to me to have the bracelet as well as help in locating your loved one should they wander and get lost. Also, I am getting additional locks for the doors. I am thinking additional dead bolts with key entry only. We have dead bolts with hand turns so I would have two locks on the door with the idea that both would have to be in the correct position to open the door. I don't think my DH can use a key very well anyway and he is never left alone so he would not be in danger. I would make the key accessible to all others. This is the type of locks we have always had in our other homes and they worked out fine for us. Any suggestions. Thanks, Alice
I enrolled Lynn in the safe return program, and I bought the additional bracelet that lets people know I am the caregiver to an AD patient. I found the need for this when I had my first TIA, for a bit I was unable to talk and couldn't explain his needs. It scared the hell out of me. So now I wear it wherever we go. If we have an accident etc, they will know he has AD. He will not wear his bracelet or necklace, but I do have his card in his wallet that has his ID number etc. Later when he is less resistant, I will put the bracelet on him.
Lynn hasn’t started to wander yet, but I have purchased the door knob locks. He can’t figure out how to make them work to open the door. I think this is all we will need. I only place them on during the night. So far, so good.
we have double entry locks, the regular one with the door and keyed deadbolts. they work excellent and give a great peace of mind. my DH STILL rattles them constantly during the day to see if the 'warden' forgot to lockup, which i have done and hes bolted out and down the street in an instant. i waited too long to deadbolt and found him one day in the mid street and cars honking at him all within 3min. my last checkin gon him wakeup call!divvi
ps i also have the safe return bracelet on him and my caregiver tag on my wallet. ps they absolutely can not take that bracelet off once its one! its AD Proof!divvi
I would be a little concerned about a key-only deadbolt -- it's not safe for you, let alone your husband. I have heard suggestions to use a second lock, placed up high or down low ... the ADLO often can't figure out that it's there.
Let's see ... read the thread "Protecting those who wander" for some additional ideas.
My wife and I both have the "Safe Return" bracelets, hers giving her name and diagnosis of dementia, with a number to call. Mine states that I am her caregiver and gives a number to call. She has not had any problem wearing it. Occasionally she will ask if she should take it off, but accepts my statement that she should leave it on. I agree with Divvi that a patient with AD would not be able to remove the bracelet. I would have trouble removing mine. It really takes 2 hands.
Rather than deadbolts, we have an alarm on the door. Only once has she tried to go out, and then when the alarm went off, she turned around and came back in. I would worry about deadbolts in case of fire.
I've had relatives who have used the key-only deadbolt and I've always been afraid of them myself.
In addition to the high up or low down deadbolts, I understand that sometimes a door chain also will work especially if you put it in at the point where opening doors begins to be more difficult for them. It works differently.
i have 2 door alarm systems in place-one chimes if doors/windows open, the other reg alarm mode, but its to no avail if they open the door constantly. drives you bananas. inmy case, DH would get anything and work incessantly to unscrew the handles right off the door! he even twisted the door handle so hard it stripped the in side. i keep the keys hanging within 2 ft of entry door just he cant see them. in case of fire, what would the deadbolt matter? fire dept would chop down the door or break the window i would think? my only concern was if something happened to me and my DH was locked inside- but i considered him being able to get out alone in that case and that would be worse.- my family checks up on us and if i dont answer they know to come a knocking and where they can gain entry on an emergency basis. even in his many yrs into AD DH still rattles the door handles all day long just 'checking' for an escape. this he has NOT forgotten:) divvi
I have the door chain installed above his line of vision. Just use it on days he is extra confused. If he could walk I would get the bracelet also, We went to Disney with daughter a few years ago and he worried me to death with the bathrooms. You could go in and out at at least 2 places. I didn't know which door he would exit. My daughter was with me thank goodness. I could not have handled that by myself.
I never really thought about public bathrooms. We were waiting in the Denver airport across from the men's room. I was watching the suitcases (carryons) and he walked over to the bathroom. I waited and waited. I was getting really nervous and all of a sudden, here he comes from the other direction. Don't ask me how he got over there. He accused me of leaving him and getting lost. I didn't argue. I was just so glad I didn't have to call out the security people to look for him. Have you ever noticed how crowded airports are? And every man over the age of 75 has white hair with a balding spot and they all wear jeans and a sweatshirt. They all look alike from the back. I gotta get the bracelet. Getting him to wear it will be another story.
We have the medic alert safe return bracelets. My DH had no problem wearing his; I just wish I could take mine off once in a while...feel somewhat "caged" at times. But...I can't get the darn thing off by myself so I know he can't get his off. It gave me peace of mind since we don't have family close by and I started to worry that if something happened to me, no one would know that he needed care right away.
Don't you feel that our informational system has really grown in the last few months. I never knew my brain would hold so much stuff. Gotta get the bracelets. Anyone have an address for that or did I miss it on a link above?
Mawzy, there are all sorts of places to get the medic alerts, and all sorts of different designs. Just google "medic alert" or "medical alert" (using the quotation marks.)
A bracelet that can't be removed is probably a must-have for the AD spouse, but you could get a necklace for yourself instead, easily removed, so you wouldn't feel as caged as FLgirl...
Put the list on a computer, Mawzy. Then sort through it regularly, moving the less important items to the bottom. And do your level best to make as many of your items "less important" as possible!!!
Just a note, they CAN take it off. Lynn couldn't work the clasp, so he just ripped it off!!! Cut himself up in the process too. Maybe the women wouldn't be strong enough to do this, but Lynn certainly had NO problem doing so. It is easier to have the card in his wallet than to try to force the issue with him. All local police, and state police have his information, along with his photo, and a note saying he refuses to wear the ID bracelet, that his wife has one with his ID number, and that he carries his card in his wallet. It is an excellent service. IMHO