Daily Archives: July 29, 2007

I mentioned in an earlier post that it was difficult to find a place that would take my Grandpa. I believe this was due to his size and strength, in addition to the Alzheimer’s.

The Alzheimer’s Association has a handy resource page and information for housing with a resource tool that will go live this fall. You can find the information on it here: http://www.alz.org/professionals_and_researchers_seniorhousingfinder.asp

In the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s it’s not unusual for those suffering to still remember things such as their parents names, or familiar songs.  My aunt tells me that when she took my Grandpa out to listen to the music being sung in the “commons” area of the nursing home while he was in the later stages of the disease.  They were singing Amazing Grace – and when my aunt looked at Grandpa he was crying.

• The Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act is a tremendous step forward in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. This important legislation passed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) offers promise for someday having a world without Alzheimer’s. 
• The Alzheimer’s Association is proud to announce the initiatives funded through our fiscal 2007 research program, including 108 grants to outstanding researchers whose projects span the entire spectrum of vital issues in dementia science.

And more news here.

=========

I’m also starting to get a little sleepy.  If you stop by and read this – post a story about a loved one of yours!  It could be silly or touching – it doesn’t matter what kind of story so please share with us!

As mentioned in several of my earlier posts, my Grandpa was a large man.  Now there are several advantages to being a large man – especially when it comes to embarrassing situations.

There is a story about my Grandpa and a small man in an elevator.  Apparently my Grandpa was having a hard time with emitting gas, and was wedged in with quite a few people, including a small man who was standing next to him.

Unable to wait until he was out in the open, Grandpa passed his gas – apparently noisily.  Without skipping a beat, he turned his head, looked down at the small man, and said, “Well… excuse yourself!”.

That little man must have figured that being embarrassed was better than having to go toe to toe with Grandpa because he just shrunk down even more and didn’t say a word.

How Safe Return works

Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return® is a nationwide identification, support and enrollment program that provides assistance when a person with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia wanders and becomes lost locally or far from home.

Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If an enrollee is missing, one call immediately activates a community support network to help reunite the lost person with his or her caregiver.

Safe Return faxes the enrolled person’s information and photo (if provided) to local law enforcement. When the person is found, a citizen or law official calls the 800-number on the identification products and Safe Return notifies listed contacts. The nearest Alzheimer’s Association office provides information and support during the search and rescue efforts.