Summer heat can be dangerous for those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The scorching heat can quickly cause heat related illnesses and dehydration, which can actually increase the disorientation in people with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

“Making sure especially in the summer that they’re hydrated even while they’re in the house. They should be hydrated regularly because they need that to function properly,” said Barbara Auten, the Executive Director of Alzheimer’s services of the Capital Area.

The risk worsens when they wander out of the house in this heat. According to the national Alzheimer’s Foundation, 60% of people with the disease will wander at least once.

“And you never know they’re a wanderer until they wander,” added Auten. She says most of the time when someone wanders, it’s because they are looking for something.

“If they’re living in a child’s home or a new place, a nursing home or assisted living, they’re thinking that they wanna go home or they wanna go to their mothers house, or their childhood home,” explained Auten.

Auten tells us there are ways to help prevent this from happening, she says they sell items such as mattress alarms and mats. There are also baby monitors and she even recommends camouflaging a door. As well as items to help find your loved one such as GPS trackers for watches and shoes

Auten recommends that you take action before it gets to that point, such as redirecting the patient.

“If you can see that they’re getting agitated and they’re saying that this isn’t my home. Where is my house? That’s the signal to intervene and redirect them and maybe pull out a photo album and show them the old house and remind them that this is now your home,” said Auten.

If a person does wander away from the house, Auten says you should contact police immediately, and they will typically go the direction of their dominant hand and continue to turn that direction if they can.

She also says that if you see an elderly person who looks confused you should try to help.

“You can stop and say do you need help and they may say no, but you can offer well I could call someone to help you,” added Auten.

For more information visit Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area.

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