Safety for Entire Communities
The Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return® program continuously looks for new ways to expand its community outreach efforts.We partner with nursing homes and other residential care facilities throughout the five boroughs to enroll their residents affected by Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. These residents are at risk of wandering and may have tried to leave their facilities in the past. Most nursing homes use a wander guard system to alert security when a resident tries to leave the building. Wander guard systems are extremely important to resident safety. However, they do not protect residents once they exit their facility, when the benefits of the Safe Return program become vitally important.
There are many ways in which people with memory loss wander and become lost. Some family members take their relatives out of the facility for home visits or family functions. There is an increased risk when people with dementia are being transferred to other locations, such as a hospital or doctor's office. Once lost, they are at great risk for injury or even death, with the length of time missing being a crucial factor.
Safe Return identification
products (bracelet, necklace, wallet card) allow
Good Samaritans and local authorities to call the toll free
phone number printed on the products. Safe Return staff
will then be able to access the wanderer’s contact information
from the national database. This is particularly helpful
since obtaining this information from a person with
dementia can be a time consuming and challenging task.
We are pleased that 31 nursing homes throughout our
five boroughs have enrolled residents in the Safe Return
program, 11 in Queens, 7 in Manhattan, 6 in the Bronx, 5
in Brooklyn and 2 in Staten Island.We believe these numbers
will increase as nursing home administrators become
informed of the benefits of enrolling their residents in Safe
Return. These include the Safe Return 24-hour toll free
emergency incident line, personalized identification products,
and enrollment in a national emergency contact
information and photo database which help reunite a lost
person with his or her caregivers. In addition, all of the
NYC Chapter programs and services are available which
include our 24-hour Helpline, care consultation with
certified social workers, our network
of over 140 support groups,
educational meetings and more.
Many residential care facilities
have contacted the Chapter’s Safe
Return program to increase safety
in their facilities, but also to
reduce the risks associated with
wandering for residents who will
be discharged at a later date.The
Safe Return program has created
a bridge between the Chapter
and the residential care community.
We look forward to additional
collaborations with nursing
homes and assisted living facilities
throughout the five boroughs.
The NYC Chapter is pleased to
offer free registration in the Alzheimer's Association Safe
Return® program to all residents of the five boroughs, thanks
to a generous grant from the NYC Council and City
Councilmember Daniel Garodnick.
For additional information about Safe Return, to enroll
a resident or family member, or for a Safe Return presentation
with on-site registration at a residential care facility,
please contact:
Elizabeth Santiago, Safe Return Manager at 646-744-2918 or by e-mail at esantiago@alznyc.org.
— Elizabeth Santiago,
Manager, Safe Return
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