Published on February 5, 2010 at 6:05 AM
- Hide Triggers that Might Encourage Departure – Remove items such as hats, coats, boots, scarves, keys and suitcases that may prompt your loved one to go outside.
- Hang a "Do Not Enter" Sign on the Door – This sign may help redirect and discourage the wanderer from opening the door.
- Install a Fence Around Your Property – Set latches on the outside of gates and ensure they are in an area where the person you are caring for can't reach them.
- Use Simple Monitors, Remote Alerts and Locks – Attach monitors to the door that detects when it opens; use a caregiver chime alert unit, which sounds when the door is open; combine these with locks on all doors including front, garage and basement.
REGISTER AND/OR ENROLL IN PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE A SAFE RESCUE
- Register Your Loved One's Information – With information registered in a secure database, such as the National Silver Alert Program, emergency responders are provided with critical information necessary in the event of a wandering incident or a medical emergency.
- Consider an Identification Bracelet – An ID bracelet, like the one offered through the Alzheimer's Association's MedicAlert + Safe Return program, helps the police or a Good Samaritan get a missing person back home safely or medical attention.
- Consider a Program that Offers a Personal Tracking Device – Programs that feature personal tracking devices, such as LoJack SafetyNet, are a good way to help protect and locate someone in the event they do wander and give peace of mind to a caregiver. A Radio Frequency device is ideal for people at risk of wandering because, unlike GPS devices, it has strong signals that can penetrate water, dense foliage, concrete buildings and steel structures.
SOURCE LoJack Corporation