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May 16, 2010
Wandering Alzheimer's Victims Increasingly Becoming Focus Of Search-And-Rescue Operations.
On its front page, the New York Times (5/5, A1, Johnson) reports, "About six in 10 dementia victims will wander at least once, healthcare statistics show, and the numbers are growing worldwide, fueled primarily by Alzheimer's disease."
The "rising numbers of searches are driving a need to retrain emergency workers, police officers, and volunteers around the country who say they throw out just about every generally accepted idea when hunting" for Alzheimer's sufferers. Retired FBI agent Robert B. Schaefer, who now conducts training sessions for the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, recently told a class that "a dementia wanderer will sometimes take evasive action to avoid detection, especially if the disease has made them paranoid about authority figures."
Related Links:
- More With Dementia Wander From Home," Kirk Johnson, New York Times, May 4, 2010.
Posted by admin at May 16, 2010 07:55 PM