I had so many events
on my calendar this week that I was on the verge of overload meltdown. I had
appointments, two meetings that I needed to prepare for, a luncheon I couldn’t
attend because of a conflict with the other two meetings, a conference call, and
music practice.
The weather was
fine on Monday, one appointment finished, check. On Tuesday, due to a predicted
ice storm, one of the Thursday meetings was cancelled, check.
Wednesday, the
ice came. Every tree, shrub, and blade of grass turned to silver. I couldn’t
step out of the door because of solid ice. I had taken a hard fall on the ice
several years ago, so safety first! My dog had to stay within the bounds of her
25-foot leash. She slid on the concrete drive and gingerly stepped on the
grass. Each blade was an ice-covered prong that affected her balance and distracted
her from her daily routine.
Wednesday night, the
weather alert radio went off. In addition to our ice alert, severe thunderstorm
warnings were issued. Before long, we had high winds, pouring down rain, thunder
and lightning. This is Missouri after all. Another meeting cancelled for
Thursday, check. Conference call and luncheon cancelled, check, check. Practice
cancelled for Friday, check.
Thursday morning,
the power went out for a few hours. After daylight, I noticed the tree in the
front yard was mostly laying on the ground. The sun came out for a few minutes
and the ice, though treacherous, turned our yard into a silver wonderland.
Since my responsibilities had been cancelled for the day, I read, played my
computer game, and took a nap. Time for myself, check.
Although in the
past, I often ignored weather alerts, it seems that our meteorologists are more
accurate now. In this case, the prediction of ice, our silver alert, was spot
on.
Weather isn’t the
only thing that can be predicted with accuracy. Silver alerts for missing, vulnerable
adults will be needed throughout the United States. Six out of ten people with
dementia wander, and Jim was one of those who seemed to be seeking something
that was in a different place than where he was at the time.
Indicators
that predict wandering: a person who paces, exhibits repetitious behavior, forgets
how to find familiar places, is gone longer than necessary when going for a
walk or driving, gets anxious when in crowded stores or malls, or keeps looking
for an undefined object.
I know that when
Jim wandered off, there was a fine line between checking where he usually went
and panicking because I couldn’t easily find him. Everyone in our neighborhood
knew to call me if they saw Jim walking alone. We installed alarms on the door,
enrolled him in Safe Return, and tried to be vigilant at all times, but he
still managed to wander off. He wandered off in an airport, Silver Dollar City,
a mall, from a cabin on vacation, and other places too numerous to mention.
You should look no more than
fifteen minutes before you enlist professional help. I notified security at the
mall and at Silver Dollar City. If no official security is available, call 911
and file a vulnerable adult missing persons report. The authorities will help
you find your loved one and can issue a silver alert. If your loved one is
enrolled in the Medic Alert + Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return®, you should
notify them at 800-625-3780.
When you are aware of a Silver Alert, share the information on social media. The more people who are looking,
the more likely the missing person will be found safely. Silver Alerts have a
high success rate!
If you are a
caregiver, it is easy to be overwhelmed with the responsibility of looking
after the safety of your loved one. Squeeze in some precious time for yourself.
It is amazing how one day, one hour, or even thirty minutes can re-energize your
body and spirit.
Copyright © February 2019 by L.S.
Fisher
#ENDALZ
3 comments:
Thank goodness for the silver alert program! And stay safe with all the ice, Linda.
Ha ha. I've been careful. It melted some yesterday and it's all gone today. Of course, we are expecting snow and sleet Friday.
A Silver Alert is a public notification system in the United States to broadcast information about missing persons – especially senior citizens with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other mental disabilities – in order to aid in locating them....(mygenericpharmacy)
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