76 Year-Old Woman with Dementia Drowns in Lake

I was saddened tonight to read of the death of a 76 year-old woman from Illinois with dementia. The news reported that she was visiting her son in Michigan and apparently wandered out of the house in the middle of the night. She was found drowned in a lake nearby his home and was not able to be resuscitated. The article reported that she had gone to bed at around10pm and the son had checked on her at 2am, only to discover that she was missing. My heart hurts for the son and any other family members. I'm choosing to write about this story not to add to the heartache or to focus on what could've been done differently. Hindsight is always 20/20, and I can only imagine their pain right now. Rather, I'm writing to remind all of us of the dangers of wandering in dementia- to raise the awareness level for those who think it won't happen to their loved one. There's no way to prevent every danger or control every hazard. But sometimes the risk can be lessened with a few precautions. Meanwhile, please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. Resources on Wandering and Safety What to Do if Your Loved one with Dementia Is Missing Safety in Dementia: Door Alarms Tips for Summer Safety with Dementia Preventing Wandering in Alzheimer's Disease76 Year-Old Woman with Dementia Drowns in Lake originally appeared on About.com Alzheimers Disease on Monday, September 2nd, 2013 at 23:26:48.Permalink | Comment | Email this
Source: About Alzheimers Disease - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news