HDHHS, AGENCY ON AGING SPONSORING ENROLLMENT DRIVE
September 1, 2009
Contact: Kathy Barton 713-794-9998
Porfirio Villarreal
713-794-9021
HDHHS, Area Agency on Aging sponsoring enrollment drive for Safe Return program for seniors with Alzheimer’s, dementia
The Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) is sponsoring an enrollment drive in September for Safe Return, a 24-hour emergency response service for people with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia who may wander and become lost.
HDHHS’ Area Agency on Aging will pay the fees for 182 Harris County seniors 60 years of age and older to register in the nationwide identification program established by the Alzheimer’s Association and the MedicAlert Foundation.
A Safe Return participant wears a bracelet or necklace engraved with a telephone hotline and an identification number. Emergency responders, law enforcement agencies and Alzheimer’s Association chapters are notified and sent a photo when a participant goes missing. Emergency responders, when needed, also receive critical health information, such as specific medical conditions, prescriptions and over-the-counter medications and dosages, allergies and implanted devices.
People may report finding a lost participant to the hotline. A participant’s caregivers are quickly notified to help reunite a family or return someone home as soon as possible.
For more information or to enroll in Safe Return, call 713-794-9001.
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 60 percent of those with Alzheimer’s or dementia will wander at some point during their disease.
A person may be at risk for wandering if he or she:
Returns from a regular walk or drive later than usual
Tries to fulfill former obligations, such as going to work
Tries or wants to "go home" even when at home
Is restless, paces or makes repetitive movements
Has difficulty locating familiar places like the bathroom, bedroom or dining room
Checks the whereabouts of familiar people
Acts as if doing a hobby or chore, but nothing gets done (moves around pots and dirt without actually planting anything)
Appears lost in a new or changed environment
Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is not a normal part of aging.
Although symptoms can vary widely, the first problem many people notice is forgetfulness severe enough to affect their ability to function at home or at work or to enjoy lifelong hobbies. Other symptoms include confusion, getting lost in familiar places, misplacing things and trouble with language.
