Dogtags for my grandmother who has Alzeimer's?

Question

My family doesn't know what to do with my grandma: 2 days ago, she wandered off looking for my cat who had been gone for a couple of days (she thought he had disappeared for good, and was worried sick, even though the cat was fine), and no one could find her. She had ended up a block away from my house, at a neighbor's house, but she had no ID on her.
So what can we do to make sure that if she gets lost again (for example at the grocery store), people who find her will know who to contact? we were thinking dogtags, but she could take those off; or a pretty bracelet with phone numbers, but she might take that off too.

Any suggestions? because it's bound to get worse.

ooh I'm sorry: Alzheimer's

jimmydean: i suggested a tatto, but everyone laughed at that!

goldwing: we thought about microchips as well, but if the person who finds her doesn't have the technology to analyse the chip, then what? plus, she wouldn't remember she has one.

missunderstood: you little brat, do you think i DON'T know how bad alzheimer's is? as for the comment on calling her a dog, f*ck off

Answer 1

A nice bracelet that has NO clasp is easy, can be engraved with phone number and her first name...I suspect this is the way to go. Dog Tags would be uncomfortable. But a gold Bracelet would do the trick. A jeweler can hook the links together and it will not come off. Good luck.. too bad they don't have chips for people like they do for doggies...so easy, painless, and permanent. good luck

Answer 2

There is an ID bracelet that cannot be taken off once it's fastener has been closed. I purchased one for a mentally challenged person several years ago. I believe it is available from the Alzheimer's Association for a few dollars. However, if you have a "wanderer" it's important to keep her from wanderering if possible as she may not be found quickly enough to protect her from all the dangers. This may mean she will need a constant companion(s) to watch her. Living alone will probably not be a good option.

Answer 3

You need someone like a buzzard on a limb to watch a wanderer. My friends mom went into the bathroom one am--clean clothes, turned on the shower put the other clothes on and went out the window. Took 3 days to find her. Another time she and her hubby were at a motel and she took off in the middle of the night and someone picked her up and hauled her over a hundred miles away. My daughter in laws step dad is one and he has a locator's beacon on his ankle. Can she still reach her ankles? If it's a no get her an ankle bracelet, you could also use the clothes markers and mark all the tags in her clothes with her name and number, it doesn't wash out. Do the same with shoes and socks. Or better yet, watch her closely, there are people that can help with this. I took care of mom for years and she didn't even know who I was.

Answer 4

I like the idea of a bracelet or there are also things that go around their neck that can act as a telephone. For her to call others in an emergency (or just for calling), I would suggest a FotoDialer. It connects into her phone and will allow her to dial others based on their photo. She finds their photo and pushes a button next to their face to call them. I have worked with Alzheimer's Associations for a long time and they said for this to work the best, put in pictures of people from her happiest times and she will remember them. Good luck and God bless you for helping her! Alzheimer's is a nasty disease. Close family support is a must. Keep it up!

Answer 5

It is not easy to live w someone who has Alzeimer.
My father has it and what my mother does :

*Have fence and gate, lock the gate and hide the key. He can "play" inside the gate only.

*Put doors in the kitchen .
So when he's left alone at home he could not go out or get in to the kitchen .
*Never leave him alone at home more than 1 hour.

*2 or 3 times a week take him for a walk or I take him to stay with me.

Usually when he was younger (with Alzeimer) and was alone he called his mates ( many times who's dead already but he forgot).
Now he just sit and read news paper (he doesn't realize that he reads the same one over and over again),and watch TV
Other than having the Alzeimer he's not too bad.

I know it is expensive to put fence and gate and to put doors in the kitchen, but it works. (It is under control).

Answer 6

Try one of the medic alert bracelets. My husband has one because he is a diabetic. The clasp is very secure --in fact, it took us 20 minutes to figure out how to remove it when he had surgery!

You could also try to put some kind of ID tag on her shoe if she wears shoes that tie.

I understand your frustration --my father had Alzheimer's and I would have been frantic if he had gotten lost.

Answer 7

Well My grandfather had brain cancer and my g.f's grandma had Alzheimer's...both of them walked away for some insane reason (cat's missing,time to go to work, it's church time, etc) Dog tag and or bracelets work amazingly!!! once you put them on within like 2 mins (you know what I mean) they won't even know...Believe me..addresses and phone number are seriously key in that situation!!! Do it for there sake!!! Tell her/him its a pretty bracelet and necklace set you made them!!!
p.s even if they go into a nursing home..make them wear it my grandpa escaped from there!!!!!

Answer 8

I don't think you fully understand Alzheimer's. It is not some cute little quirk that your Grandmother has. It is a very serious disease that will result in her progressive deterioration and her eventual death.
There are several websites which offers caregivers "Humane and dignified" ways of dealing with a person who has been diagnosed with dementia.
Until then I would suggest, not letting her wonder, and putting a double lock on any door that she might go out of, and a large black rug in front of anyplace in the house that she might get hurt, like in front of the stove and at the top and bottom of the stairs.
The black rug looks like a hole to them and they don't usually walk on it because they see it as a hole with no bottom.
Don't count on too many people trying to help your Grandma when she gets lost, most people would just chalk it up to "Crazy old Lady" and not really give a rats @ss about trying to help or aid her.
Oh, and stop treating Grandma like a dog.
Peace

Answer 9

My uncle had Alzheimer's for years. He never went anywhere without my aunt. If he became lost in a store while shopping he knew to go to any corner of the store and wait for her to check the corners. That was started very early and it sort of grew with the illness. He became exceedingly dependent on her.

Answer 10

An ID bracelet would help, with contact information on it. Find one that would be difficult for her to remove. Also, door alarms(buzzer, bell, chimes) would help, a warning so you'd know if she tries to take off again. And yes, you are right, it is bound to get worse.