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HEAD: Getting people with dementia safely home
It’s one of the scariest and also most common behaviours associated with Alzheimer’s disease — becoming lost with no idea how to get home.
People around them may want to help but don’t know where to start. That’s why Canadian MedicAlert Foundation and the Alzheimer Society of Canada have united to launch the MedicAlert Safely Home program to help Canadians with dementia live as safely as possible. The nation-wide initiative is designed to quickly help identify those who are lost and assist in a safe return home.
The program uses the MedicAlert database to store full medical information about the person with dementia, including what medications they take, information about allergies or conditions and a record of their medical history.
MedicAlert Safely Home members select an ID to wear at all times. Through a unique 24/7 emergency hotline, inscribed on the ID, emergency services personnel are granted immediate access to a complete medical profile and emergency contact information. When a member with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is found — even if they’re unable to answer basic personal questions like where they live – MedicAlert will provide critical information and immediately notify emergency contacts.
Some 747,000 Canadians live with a form of dementia. When they wander, check for a MedicAlert ID. It’s the quickest way back home to the person’s caregiver or family. Call the 24/7 hotline. A live operator will immediately give you the person’s emergency contact details.
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