New technology available to help Alzheimer's patients

SALT LAKE CITY — Harold Morris drove all the way to Texas from southern Utah not realizing he had left his wife, Peggy, stranded in the wilds of Grand County.

Peggy Morris told police that her husband's memory was faltering due to Alzheimer's disease. Police eventually found him motoring the couple's RV about Fort Worth looking for his son's home.

This is an extreme example but illustrative of the stress that caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease disorders experience when their loved ones wander — whether on foot or in vehicles.

This week, Salt Lake County Aging Services will offer a program on wandering and strategies for caregivers to cope with it. The free program will include a film and discussion on registering, tracking and finding lost individuals.

While there are occasional news reports about patients with Alzheimer's disease disorders wandering away from home or, less often, care facilities, Dr. Norman Foster said apathy and a lack of initiative are more frequent traits of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

"Wandering is more severe in the middle phases of the disease," said Foster, director of the University of Utah's Center for Alzheimer's Care, Imaging and Research.

"It's not usually, if ever, the first symptom of the disease."

But when a patient wanders or gets lost, it may be the "cardinal event" that forces family members to acknowledge that "something serious is going on," he said.

Foster, a professor of neurology, said he encourages patients to be physically active. As their disease progresses, wandering about the community on foot — or in a vehicle — can occur. But with the use of technology that can help locate individuals if they get lost, the dangers can be minimized and allow patients to be more independent.

One study showed that just 7 percent of patients with Alzheimer's disease get outside every day. The lack of activity can contribute to other health problems.

Alzheimer's disease, Foster said, is one of the "most boring diseases you can get."

As the disease progresses, patients have increased difficulty reading, using computers and other cognitive activities they enjoy and have previously occupied their time.

"It's not surprising that people who don't have planned activities or supervision ... go out looking for things to do or just do other things."

People can make changes at home to reduce the likelihood of wandering. Car keys should be put away so the patient cannot drive the car. Some people go so far as to remove a car's distributor cap so it cannot cannot be started. Others install additional locks or gates to make it more difficult for the patients to leave the home on their own. Some people cover doors with curtains.

Unfortunately, some well-meaning people simply cannot provide adequate supervision to Alzheimer's patients. If they do not seek outside help with caregiving demands or place the patient in day care, they can become overwhelmed. Patients may end up wandering or their conditions may deteriorate prematurely.

"Instead, they end up in crisis situations or placed in institutions at much higher costs and lower quality of life," Foster said.

There are a number of community-based program to assist caregivers with these issues, said Kathy Nelson of Salt Lake County's Aging Services. The agency provides information and referrals, including a monthly support program that offers respite or an educational film to help caregivers.

This month's program on wandering will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14, in Room 2019 of the south building Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 S. State. There is no cost for the program.

For more information, go to www.aging.slco.org/caregiversupport.

Email: mcortez@ksl.com

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