Page 4 - Senior Times South Central Michigan June 2023 - 30-06

Page 4 Senior Times - June 2023
GETTING OUTSIDE SAFELY WITH TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
By: Sherii Sherban, Publisher
During this time of wonderful weather the desire to get out and about increases. Did you know that six out of ten people living with dementia will wander, creating a new level of stress for family members?
Register for the Miles for Memories Community Stroll, September 16 at 10am starting at Festival Market Square in down- town Battle Creek. Get the latest updates and learn about Miles for Memories programs. Register at (269) 979-1412.
The Help Home program allows family mem- bers (or other authorized persons) to submit a form containing pertinent information about
the person living with dementia directly to law enforcement. This information is entered into a local database managed by the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority 911 center. This database is immediately accessible to patrol units in the field. Interested family members can go directly to the website at milesformemories. org. Click on the Safe Return Programs button. There you can download a Help Home brochure, or read more about each of the programs.
Best of all, you have complete control over the content that is accessible from a click, a scan, or a call to the number on the reverse side of the band through an app on your phone or personal computer. Each band has its own I.D. and PIN numbers that are used to create a per- sonal account for the wearer.
Each of these pieces can assist with the safe return of a loved one as well as provide an opportunity for prompt care when necessary. They are available for purchase at m3-tech.org. Furthermore, the emergency respite program is available for those needing care when a caregiv- er is injured.
find the care receiver. The Caregiver Connection key chain serves the same purpose. All are avail- able on the ordering website at m3-tech.org.
caregiver’s phone via an app when the loved one wanders beyond a safe distance or the watch is submerged in water for an extended period
of time. This system will also track movement of the loved one throughout the day, as well as send notifications directly to the watch. Just as important, the caregiver can call the loved one and interact with them via the speaker. It can even be set to answer automatically. This is made possible by having a cell phone number linked to the watch and requires a monthly ser- vice fee starting at $15.
Miles for Memories offers several programs to create greater peace of mind and support for the caregiver. One such program is the Help Home program, which is designed to help the person with dementia return home safely with less anxiety and worry.
The Personal ID bracelet is a visual com- ponent worn by the person that securely stores their complete medical profile online, which can be accessed by first responders in five seconds or less. Time saves lives.
The MileTile is a device that supports taking your loved one for an outing and can assist with immediate location as well.
As part of the program a Personal I.D. brace- let is available to be worn by the person living with dementia, and/or their caregiver (or Nugget, which is a slider that fits onto an existing watch band). It provides support for the person begin- ning with the earlier stages of dementia to con- tinue to be active. When worn by the caregiver, the notes field will alert authorities to the need to
If your loved one is mobile and has demon- strated regular attempts to wander you may want to consider the Miles for Memories G.P.S. watch. The watch does include all the personal contact information for the emergency contact but also provides for an immediate opportunity to check the G.P.S. location of a loved one in real time. Alerts can be sent directly to the
For more information call Miles for Memories at (269) 979-1412 or email memo- ries@milesformemories.org.
A benefit for each of these devices is the location identification feature. Your loved one’s location is sent directly to the emergency contact when scanned. While it’s not a G.P.S. device, a direct location, map, and directions can be sent when scanned by a smart phone of a passerby.
The caregiver will have greater peace of mind knowing that if their loved is lost, steps have been taken to find and return them as quickly as possible, without an unnecessary trip to the hospital. A simple call to 9-1-1 will alert authorities to be on the lookout for you loved one.
Miles for Memories is an all-volunteer orga- nization operating as a community project fund through the Battle Creek Community Foundation that seeks to create solutions for those impacted by dementia in Calhoun County through move- ment, programming, and research.
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