Fake Bus Stop Keeps Alzheimer's Patients From Wandering Off

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 6-3-2008 | Harry de Quetteville

[blam]

Fake bus stop keeps Alzheimer's patients from wandering off

By Harry de Quetteville in Berlin
Last Updated: 11:11PM BST 03/06/2008

German nursing homes are using a novel strategy to stop Alzheimer's patients from wandering off: phantom bus stops.

The idea was first tried at Benrath Senior Centre in Düsseldorf, which pitched an exact replica of a standard stop outside, with one small difference: buses do not use it.

The centre had been forced to rely on police to retrieve patients who wanted to return to their often non-existent homes and families.

Then Benrath teamed up with a local care association called the "Old Lions". They went to the Rheinbahn transport network which supplied the bus stop.

"It sounds funny but it helps," said Franz-Josef Goebel, the chairman of the "Old Lions" association.

"Our members are 84 years old on average. Their short-term memory hardly works, but the long-term memory is still active.

"They know the green and yellow bus sign and remember that waiting there means they will go home."

The result is that errant patients now wait for their trip home at the bus stop, before quickly forgetting why they were there in the first place.

"We will approach them and say that the bus is coming later and invite them in for a coffee," said Richard Neureither, Benrath's director. "Five minutes later they have completely forgotten they wanted to leave."

The idea has proved so successful that it has now been adopted by several other homes across Germany.

[Eagles6]

save

[doc]

I’m looking forward to the day when I can play the game “guess your name” in a nursing home.

[R_Kangel]

Very crafty people those Germans.

[Responsibility2nd]

Alzheimer’s patients are so lucky. They get to meet new people every day.

[cherry]

similar distraction tactics have been used in nursing homes and hospitals for ages....one is that you have the ladies fold laundry.....they'll sit there and fold washcloths for hours .....

nothing funny about this .....sad that after long lives, people end up like that...

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Plan 'B' is "Rover".

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

God Bless every one of them and the caretakers !

[blam]

"similar distraction tactics have been used in nursing homes and hospitals for ages....one is that you have the ladies fold laundry.....they'll sit there and fold washcloths for hours ....."

Hmmmm. Maybe I could take my laundry by there and let them 'work' on the real thing. Ha!

[mkjessup]

Alzheimer’s patients are so lucky. They get to meet new people every day.

Ironically, Ronald Reagan himself cracked that joke when the doctors confirmed that he was suffering from Alzheimer's.

He didn't try to hide it from anybody, he faced it like the brave man he was, said his goodbyes to America while he was still able, and in some ways I've always felt that the Lord was mericful in sparing our 40th President from witnessing and comprehending the treasonous Clinton/Gore/Reno years and how it laid the foundation for 9/11.

[SIDENET]

I bet that they could wash the heck out of a car.

I'm just sayin.

[doc1019]

Amen!

[LasVegasMac]

Plan 'B' is "Rover".

I am not a number!

Where am I? And why am I in this basket?

[Kevmo]

I like hearing about clever solutions that preserve dignity.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Fake Obama rallies used to calm week-end university campuses
"Most assemble Friday evening and wait the whole week-end for him."

[BBell]

Anyone see Ghost World?

Reminded me of it.

[BBell]

It’s sad but it’s comforting for the old folks. They don’t feel useless and they don’t worry about it.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

In the 1990’s, Michael Reagan once mentioned that the thing his father liked best about his Alzheimer’s is that he sometimes forgets that Bill Clinton is president.

[Wacka]

The thing with our bodies is that we were not meant to live so long. In cave men times, 40 was ancient.
Our evolution hasn’t caught up yet.

[mkjessup]

In the 1990’s, Michael Reagan once mentioned that the thing his father liked best about his Alzheimer’s is that he sometimes forgets that Bill Clinton was president.

If only the rest of us could do that! LOL