While having coffee with a friend today, we got on the topic of Alzheimer's and how one German facility came up with a very innovative solution.
They were having trouble with their patients wandering off, a normal occurrence that comes with the territory. I don't know how they came up with this, but they parked a bus right in front of the facility. The patients would wander onto the bus and sit happily as it drove them around town and brought them back to the facility at the end of the ride. They would get off the bus and go right back inside of the facility on their own. Isn't that a wonderful idea? The patients got to get out a bit and go for a drive. Even though they came back where they started from, it didn't matter. They went somewhere, they were safe, they were happy, and they came back.
Of course, I'm sure it was a non-stop ride. Wouldn't it be nice to have something like that for our own Alzheimer's patients? As my friend Cathy suggested, "Maybe we should try to get into their reality instead of trying to force them back into ours". I think she's on to something.
My Grandma had it. I learned very quickly to go with her flow. Never to correct her and to go along with whatever she said. I learned some great family history that way actually. And it made our visits more enjoyable for both of us. To point out to someone with dementia that they are incorrect only stresses them further. So in less its a safety issue I say take the journey with them.
ReplyDeleteThat's excellent advice, Laura. Thank you for sharing this.
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