Smyrna begins registry for people with dementia on The Murfreesboro Post

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Smyrna begins registry for people with dementia

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By: Lisa Marchesoni

Posted: Monday, February 16, 2009 10:30 am

When Kevin Arnold was a Smyrna Police detective several years ago, he stopped to help a woman with dementia standing on Hazelwood Drive.

He convinced her to get in the car, then drove around the neighborhood until locating a house she believed was hers. Arnold found her elderly husband who had been searching for her.

“It left me with the impression an individual helping take care of an individual with dementia can get overwhelmed,” Arnold said.

Now chief of police, Arnold decided to implement a registration program for Alzheimer’s patients at the police department based on a model from a Missouri police department.

To register, a family member of caregiver should bring two photographs of the individual suffering with Alzheimer’s to the police department and complete a short form about the individual. The service is free.

The police department will maintain the information and distribute the information photographs quickly to police officers if the individual leaves the home and can’t be located.

“This way, it speeds up the recovery process,” Arnold said.

The purpose of the registration is to help police identify the individuals if they wander away from home. People may register nationally through the Alzheimer’s Association at 1-888-572-8555 or their Web site at www.alz.org.

Arnold recently read an article in U.S. News and World Report rating Smyrna named one of the Top 10 cities for retirees.

With the higher number of retired people, Arnold knows more residents take care of loved ones with some form of dementia.

“My grandfather had Alzheimer’s,” Arnold said. “I understand what these people are going through. Even though you’re dealing with a 70- to 80-year-old, the individual is like a child. If you’re not watching, they can get away from you.”

The Alzheimer’s Web site listed the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s:

Memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language, disorientation to time and place, poor or decreased judgment, problems with abstract thinking, misplacing things, changes in mood or behavior, changes in personality or loss of initiative.

Individuals with the warning signs should see a doctor to get treatment, care and support services.

Arnold said the registration is available for caretakers.

“If a few take advantage of it, that’s great,” Arnold said.

For more information, call the police department at 459-6644.

Lisa Marchesoni may be reached at 869-0814 or at lmarchesoni@murfreesboropost.com.

Tagged under SMYRNA POLICE

Member Opinions:

By: eagle50 on 2/17/09
This is a great idea.

By: mhm2a on 2/17/09
I heard that some people signed up twice because they forgot about the first time.

By: Boo on 2/18/09
mhm2a- If that was supposed to be a joke, it was not appropriate here. This is a serious illness and this wonderful program just shows how caring the people of Smyrna are about their citizens!