Alzheimer’s information

By Andy Rebmann

When someone is awake and alert but confused, disoriented forgetful and displays a broad impairment of intellectual function, they are said to have DEMENTIA. One of the most common causes of dementia is Alzheimer's Disease. 59% of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease wander and become lost. 46% may die if not found within 24 hours. Wanderers with Alzheimer's Disease are usually found within 0.5 mile radius from where they disappeared. People with Alzheimer's Disease usually do not cry out for help. Forgetful people tend to remember things that happened long ago more clearly than recent events or they may remember some things and not others.

People with Alzheimer's Disease may be in search of something from their past. (i.e. job, childhood home, special person) People with Alzheimer's Disease who wander usually fall into one of three categories:

THE PURPOSEFUL WANDERER (has a goal or destination)

THE AIMLESS WANDERER (is restless, goes from thing to thing and place to place)

THE FORGETFUL WANDERER (gets lost and knows they are lost}

Useful questions to ask caregivers before beginning a search for memory impaired missing persons:

1. Has this person asked to go "HOME" to find his/her mother? (or father/husband/wife?)
2. Did she/he talk about childhood or neighborhood friends?
3. Was their long ago home in a city or rural setting?
4. What was this persons occupation?
5. Would this person ask a stranger for a ride or would they shy away form strangers?
6. If the caregiver asked the missing person how old she/he was today, what would the answer be? (How many years have they lost? Where are they in time?)
7. Can she/he see a major street from the place where she/he was last seen?
8. Has the person eaten just before they disappeared? If they were hungry would they try to get to a store or restaurant? (or a garbage can?)
9. Is this person the "restless" type, always on the move at a leisurely shuffle?
10. Was she/he wearing shoes when last seen? Do their feet swell to the point of becoming uncomfortable.
11. Could she/he toilet themselves and redress properly? Or would they be falling over their clothing and untied shoes? Or would they have their clothing on in the wrong order? (i.e. underwear on the outside)
12. Does she/he hallucinate?
13. Has this person recently moved to a new location?
14. Would this person know that they are lost and try to ask neighbors or strangers for directions?
15. Would this person still be able to drive a vehicle?
16. Does this person carry any for of lD, such as Safe Return?
17. What medications are they using. What will happen if the do not get the next dose on time?

Suggested search techniques:

1. If a nursing home or other facility, have the staff check the shift log to see if the subject may have been admitted to a hospital or on a home visit.
2. Early use of trackers at the PLS.
3. Early use of tracking (trailing) dogs at PLS and along roadways.
4. Early deployment of air scent dog teams into drainages and streams, starting nearest PLS.
5. Early deployment of hasty ground teams into drainages and streams nearest PLS.

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