Heather Latter
Community partners gathered at La Place Rendez-Vous here last Wednesday to learn about the ground-breaking “Finding Your Way” program—a multicultural safety awareness initiative for people living with dementia who go missing or become lost.
Being promoted by the Alzheimer Society of Kenora/Rainy River Districts, in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Ontario and the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat, the program provides information on how to protect the individual.
“[It’s] a practical program on how people with dementia can stay safe while staying active,” said Lynn Moffatt, executive director of the local Alzheimer Society.
“It shows us how to deal with the risks of going missing.
“Three out of five people with dementia will go missing at some point,” Moffatt noted. “If not found within 24 hours, half of them will have a serious injury or die.
“It could be you or someone you know.”
Moffatt said the goal of the workshop was to help improve the safety of those with dementia while providing peace of mind for family members.
They discussed issues surrounding dementia and wandering, how police and emergency services are involved, who is at the greatest risk, and what further action is needed.
“It’s about how we can work together creating a dementia-friendly community,” Moffatt added, noting the workshop was just a starting point to determine how they will move forward.
“The ‘Finding Your Way’ program is part of the Ontario Action Plan for Seniors,” explained Rylee Baird, client services co-ordinator in Kenora.
“The driving force behind this program was a concern over the deaths that have occurred as a result of missing incidents, and the recognized need for awareness and prevention,” she noted.
Baird said the program promotes the creation of a safety plan in the community and supports the safe return of people who do go missing.
“There are four outreach components to the ‘Finding Your Way’ program, and the first is public awareness and education to enhance community response to missing incidents,” she remarked.
She said they also want to increase resources for family/caregivers to improve prevention and preparedness, as well as to build partnerships with diverse cultural organizations to improve outreach to people and their families who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
The program also includes police training to add modules about missing incidents into the current police curriculum.
Baird stressed the “Find Your Way” program is important because as of 2012, close to a quarter-million seniors in Ontario are living with dementia.
“People just never know when their loved one will go missing,” she warned.
“Nearly 75 percent of people who go missing are found within a quarter-mile of their home or last location seen.”
Baird said people with dementia go missing because of memory loss due to the disease.
“Due to short-term memory loss, a person may set out to run an errand . . . and then they forget where they are going and why,” she explained.
Other reasons why a person with dementia might go missing include a changed environment, searching for the past, excess energy, confusing night and day, thinking they have a job to perform, discomfort or pain, or having dreams.
“All these reasons for someone to go missing are related to changes to their brain,” Baird noted.
“You have to remember, it’s the disease, not the person.”
In order to help, Baird said the community should know the signs, as well as what to say and what to do.
Some of the signs that someone may be confused about their whereabouts include not be appropriately dressed for the weather, looking up at street signs, standing still, looking around for a long time, or having a look of confusion or disorientation.
They also may repeat the same question in a short period of time.
“If I see someone who is in need of help, I want to help them immediately,” Baird remarked, noting when approaching an individual who is confused of their whereabouts, approach from the front and identify yourself.
“Speak slowly and calmly, use short, simple words, and ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions,” she suggested.
“Also, don’t raise your voice. Ask one question at a time and leave time for response between questions.”
Other tips for helping the individual include maintaining a calm environment and good eye contact, as well as avoiding confrontation or correcting.
“Most importantly, call 9-1-1,” Baird stressed.
“Stay with person until police arrive,” she added. “This may mean walking with them or following behind them.”
Baird said one preventive measure for families is registering their loved one with the MedicAlert “Safely Home” program.
It provides a unique MedicAlert blue bracelet that’s worn full-time by a person with dementia that is engraved with personal information and a hotline number.
Should they ever go missing, police quickly can identify them by calling the MedicAlert 24-hour emergency hotline.
She also suggested families keep a current photo of their loved one on hand, and fill out the identification kit with the Alzheimer Society.
For more information about the program, visit www.alzheimer.ca/krr or call Mary at 1-800-682-0245.
