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Search is an Emergency

A Pre Plan for the Search and Rescue of Missing People with Alzheimer’s

Disease and other Dementias

Janice Hebb – Safely Home - Project Coordinator

Alzheimer Society of Manitoba

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What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

• Progressive disease of the brain – a form of dementia

• Brain changes:

– Plaques and tangles

– Decline of brain mass

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Other Dementias

• Vascular Dementia

• Lewy Body Dementia

• Frontal Temporal (Pick’s Disease)

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

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Who is Affected?

• Approximately 299,000 Canadians

• Most people are over the age of 65

• 1 in 3 over the age of 85

• Twice as many women as men

• Many live in long-term care facilities

(Approximately half of LTC residents have some type of dementia)

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Symptoms: Getting Lost 1 of 2

• Memory loss– Changes in Short-Term Memory

– Changes in Long-Term Memory

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Symptoms: Getting Lost 2 of 2

• Disorientation to time and place

• Decreased judgment

• Lack of sense of lapsed time

• Difficulties communicating

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Defining Wandering Behaviour…

“movement by a person with dementia, whether aimless or purposeful, on foot or by other means, which occurs when certain cognitive losses and environmental circumstances intersect, causing that person to become lost in an unsupervised and potentially unsafe setting” Silverstein, Flaherty and Tobin (2002)

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Wandering and Getting Lost

• All residents with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia should be considered at risk of wandering and getting lost.

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Wandering

• Wandering is a normal symptom of dementia

• 24% of residents wander from LTC settings

• The challenge:

Create balance between personal

freedom and personal safety

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Types of Wandering

• Passive wandering

• Purposeful wandering

• Night-time wandering

• Industrious wandering

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Why Might People with Dementia Wander?

• Changed Environment

• Excess Energy

• Searching for the Past

• Expressing Boredom

• Continuing a Habit

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Pre Plan

• What can be done in your facility to ensure that you have an effective pre plan if a resident elopes?

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Pre Plan

• Review policy and procedure on Search Plan

• Identify those at risk of wandering in their care plan

• Complete a resident /client profile– Include a head and shoulder picture– Photocopy soles of shoes or slippers– Update the pictures and photocopy of soles

shoes/slippers every 6 months

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Pre Plan

• Encourage registration with Safely Home™ Wandering Registry Program

• Encourage wearing of Safely Home bracelet

• Educate staff

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Search Plan

• Unique to each organization

• Identify in - house search coordinator for each shift

• Identify the staff roles - 2 searchers per shift

• Ensure each staff member understands their role in the search

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When Lost…

People with Alzheimer’s Disease or another dementia have a 50% chance of being injured or dying from exposure, hypothermia or drowning if they are not found within the first 12 hours!

SEARCH IS AN EMERGENCY!

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Case Scenario

A 75 year old male with insulin dependent diabetes and dementia with expressive aphasia is not present at afternoon shift change. Staff note that he was last seen wearing his pajamas and a bathrobe. They think he was wearing slippers. It is a crisp fall day.

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For More Information

• Contact: Janice Hebb

Safely Home – Project Coordinator

Alzheimer Society of Manitoba

10 – 120 Donald Street

Winnipeg, MB R3C 4G2

(204) 943-6622 Ext. 203

1-800-378-6699

or the regional office nearest you