Rebecca Joosten has the touch of healing in her fingertips.  A nurse for 30 years, she has provided healing massage since 1995.

Try these tips to prevent wandering out of the house by your loved one.

1. If there is a securely locked high fence around the whole perimeter of the property, let your loved one go outside, in good weather.  Go outside with them.
2. If there is no secure fence or there is other danger to allowing them to go outside at will, try these approaches:
   1. Remove from site triggers that would make the loved one or person with dementia think of going out, such as coats, umbrellas, shoes, purse, etc…
   2. Tell your loved one or person with dementia frequently where they are and why, in a calm tone of voice. Reassure them with words like, “XXX will return in an hour to be with you” or “Your family knows where you are”.
   3. Don’t confront or argue with the person, walk with them and redirect to another part of the house or to an activity. Use humor if possible.
   4. Purchase childproof doorknob covers, or deadbolts to put on the door above the loved one or person with dementia’s eye level, or slide bolts on the top or bottom of the door. These items will never be used when the loved one or person with dementia is alone in the home, only when someone is with them.
   5. If you don’t want to do any of the above, place warning bells above the outside doors, or activate the house alarm system, or get a monitor that goes on the loved one or person with dementia (such as a toddler monitor) or a pressure mat alarm, so at least you know when your loved one or person with dementia has left the house.
   6.  Try putting a full-length mirror on the inside face of the outside door. Sometimes people don’t recognize themselves and think someone is standing there and turn around and go back.
   7. Try putting a black throw rug in front of the outside door. To some people, it looks like a hole in the floor and that they won’t attempt to cross it.
   8. You might try to hide the outside door by putting a curtain in front of it, or maybe by making sure it is the same color as the surrounding walls, that way it may not be seen by the loved one or person with dementia.
   9. Put a big sign on the outside door saying “Stop” or “Do Not Enter” or “Danger- Do not Open”.
   10. Sew ID labels in the loved one or person with dementia’s clothes, or get a special Medic alert bracelet for the loved one or person with dementia, if they have a history of escaping the house. Also they need to have a current picture and a piece of unwashed clothes (for tracking dogs) handy to give to the police, in case the loved one or person with dementia does escape.
   11. If the loved one or person with dementia escapes while you are in the bathroom , grab your cell phone, and run out side, look around the whole block the house is on. Cover the whole block, if not found, call 911 and tell them that a person with dementia has escaped the house and is lost. Try to convince them that this person needs to be found immediately, they need their medicines badly.
   12. If the loved one or person with dementia doesn’t recognize his or her home as where they live, they may want to leave to go “Home”. They may be thinking of a home they lived in previously, such as in their childhood. Instead of telling them that this is their home, talk about the home they are thinking of. Reminiscing about it sometimes lessens their urge to leave.
   13. If they still want to go “home” tell them you will walk with them, and take a walk with them or tell them that you will drive them there, and take them out for a drive. It may help if you stop to get a treat, an ice cream cone, or snack. They probably will have forgotten about the other home by the time you get back, and may even recognize where they live now as home.

By Carole Larkin  MA, CMC, CAEd, DCP, QDCS, EICS is an expert in Alzheimer’s and related Dementias care. She has a Master’s of Applied Gerontology from the University of North Texas, is a Certified Alzheimer’s Educator, is a Dementia Care Practitioner, is a Qualified Dementia Care Specialist, and an Excellence in Care Specialist at the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, as well as a Certified Trainer/Facilitator of the groundbreaking dementia care training tool, the Virtual Dementia Tour Experience She is a Certified Geriatric Care Manager who specializes in helping families with Alzheimer’s and related dementias issues. She consults with families telephonically nationwide on problems related to the Dementias. Her company, ThirdAge Services LLC, is located in Dallas, TX, and her website is www.thirdageservices.com.

If you would like to gain insight into the available skilled care facilities (nursing homes) in the Mobile area, I suggest you google Nursing Home ratings in Mobile.  MatchNursingHomes.org is a good place to start.  They offer ratings, bed availability and pertinent information that can help you narrow down your hunt.  Once you find some interesting prospects, call and make arrangements to visit and tour the facility.

To be eligible for Mercy LIFE Pace Program, a person must be age 55 or older, certified by the state to need nursing home care, and live in the Mercy LIFE area.

This program is able to offer care and services to seniors with chronic needs while maintaining their independence in their homes for as along as possible.

The Mobile location is in the old Mobile Rug and Shade building on Springhill Avenue.  Transportation, meals, medications and recreational activities are some of the services provided for program participants.  Look into this one-stop care opportunity by calling Gemma Campbell at 251-287-8420.

1.  Third Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at the Human Resources location of South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, 1613 N. McKenzie Street, Foley, AL  36526.

2.  Last Wednesday of every month at 10.00 a.m. at the The Brennity of Daphne, 27440 Co. Rd. 13, Daphne, AL  36526.

3.  Third Thursday of every month at 9:00 a.m. at the Foley Senior Center, 304 E. Rose Street, Foley, AL  36535

These groups are open access, private and confidential.  For more information, call Kitty Bradshaw, RN, CHPN, or Leslie Johnson, MEd @ Covenant Hospice, Daphne, AL, 251-626-5255.

The last thing you want to happen is for your loved on to wander off.  Placing a wristband from Project Lifesaver on a dementia sufferer is 100% way to find them if they get lost.

For only $10 a month, you can have the peace of mind that your loved one is protected.  Made available through Mercy Medical in Mobile and Baldwin county offices.

Go to http://www.mercymedical.com/projectlifesaver.php for more information or call 251-621-3135 in Mobile and 251-621-4431 in Baldwin County.

1.  Get a copy of any legal documents you sign.  Read it first!

2.  Make a copy of prescription orders that you entrust to someone else.

3.  Never give up – contend for what you need.

4.  Ask for a copy of medical reports or lab results to be mailed to you before you leave the doctor’s office.

5.  Buy a Pre Need Funeral Arrangement for the one you care for and yourself.

6.  Put all important papers in one notebook for easy access and conveyance.

7.  For a free Power of Attorney and Advanced Directive and other free legal services,  contact Alec Brown of Davis and Neal at 251-434-6848.

The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Coalition in partnership with the Area Agency on Aging of South Alabama Regional Planning Commission opened a helpline to assist with concerns or questions about Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The number is (251) 706-4680.

Published: Wednesday, November 07, 2012, 2:53 PM     Updated: Thursday, November 08, 2012, 5:45 AM

By Press-Register Editorial Board
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Beth Reinert with her mother.

By Beth Reinert

Guest Columnist

My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2008. Preparing for her long-term care, meeting her financial requirements and offering meaningful activities have dominated my life. In addition to caring for all of her needs, I’ve spent hours doing research on the Internet, reading books and making phone calls for just one reason: So I could provide her with the best care possible.The number of unpaid caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients in the United States totals over 10 million, yet the job is often lonely and unrecognized. Most of us aren’t prepared to take on such care of a loved one, but once the commitment is made, we have so much to learn.

While overcoming one challenge after another, I have come to realize how vital caregivers are. We are the ones who make the decisions that determine quality of life, medical care and safety. Even with help from my sister, I finally realized that a team of people is necessary to provide 24/7 care. But where do I go for help?

Finding a support group was a good place to start. The first time I sat down with families living with Alzheimer’s disease, I felt so relieved that I wanted to cry. Here were my comrades, the ones who knew what I was going through. I found good referrals, creative suggestions and listening ears from the group participants.

I also received help from the E.A. Roberts Center, from family members, from my church, from home health care, from hospice, from the staff at the assisted living facility where she lives and from the private sitters scheduled to keep her company.

I found resources through the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission and the Area Agency on Aging and became involved with them as a volunteer. They put on an annual Caregiver Conference that I attended for the first time last year. I still benefit from what I learned at the conference. Where else can you acquire facts on bladder and bowel health, hear about the latest products for incontinence and learn how to qualify for Medicaid when the time comes?

Information about these topics helped me overcome problems that seemed insurmountable at first. Now I face these issues and many others with confidence.

I’ve heard that the new optimism is solutions. Well, solutions can be found at the Caregiver Conference on November 14, 2012 at the Daphne Civic Center. It’s free to attend and they offer adult day care or in-home sitters at no cost to make it possible for you to attend. If you are a caregiver—unpaid or professional—I urge you to continue to educate yourself by attending this conference. Your job will become easier and the care you are giving will improve. You can even earn CEUs if you need them.

I want all caregivers to be able to easily access services from our local community. In my association with Area Agency on Aging, they have listened to my concerns about the needs of caregivers and dementia patients. As a result, the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Association Helpline was developed and is ready to be launched on November 15. By calling 251-706-4680, local information and resources for family members or clients with Alzheimer’s or dementia can be found.

As my mother’s disease progresses, I know that we will embrace what each day brings. With continued faith and asking for help when we need it, I trust my mother will continue to have the care and love that she deserves.

For those interested in attending this year’s Caregiver Conference the final day to RSVP is Tuesday, Nov. 13. You can do so by calling 251-433-6541.

Beth Reinert has a master’s degree in education and serves on the South Alabama Alzheimer’s and Dementia Coalition. She can be reached at pittman1212@comcast.net.