Alzheimers'

[Dax]

My company supplies electronic equipment for nursing homes, etc where they have patients with dementia & alzheimers. The problem is that these people have nothing to do all day but think of ways to get pass this equipment. If they get out in winter - there is a very good chance they will die.

I have the perfect solution - living assist dogs. A full grown dog over 35 lbs would easily be able to alert & detain these people. And the dogs are intelligent living creatures who also have nothing better to do than think of ways to stop these people. Could you imagine. Grandpa trying to sneak past a shepard or rottie? Their barks would certainly alert the nurses, the could hold on without knocking them down, if the elder is determined enough the dog could follow them alerting the whole time or herding them back.

SO- should I book my room at the crazy farm or get to writing my business plan?

[GretaJack]

It sounds like an excellent idea but there would have to be some intensive training on a dog to just alert staff about an escapee and not try to contain someone. The problem with Alzheimer's and dymentia is that these people have moments, days, weeks where they are not grasping reality and probably try to get the dog to be their co-conspirator in their escape. Or they just might not even realize that the dog is there. I am sad to say that when I was doing pet-therapy I really would avoid the alzheimer's ward. I know that is horrible of me but some of these people thought my dog was a horse. Thought I was their wife and would yell and scream at me about not doing dishes, the normal stuff that these people experience with these diseases. But it always stressed me out. For a while I would just let a staff member take my dog through the ward since they knew how to deal with these people.

Now could you imagine Grandpa trying to hop on a Shepard or a Rottie to bust out of the joint? The thought makes me giggle.