I get comments, emails and letters every day that break my heart. I wish I had time to share all of them because they paint such a vivid picture of the needless suffering that results from lack of knowledge, lack of understanding, lack of compassion and lack of resources in dementia care.
When I shared this post about wandering for the umpteenth time on the MyAlzheimersStory.com Facebook page, daughter and care partner Miriam Oltrogge made a comment that brought tears to my eyes:
“My father is known as a wanderer, exit seeking and as having behaviour issues at his long term care home. So now he spends his days in the locked unit with just a half floor where he walks back and forth like a prisoner. His active lifestyle kept him out of a wheelchair, and he still enjoys being up and about. Little did he know where he would end up at 88 years old because he staying so active and physically healthy. These homes could find a better way to handle this but they choose the easiest and most cost efficient for them.I am sure that some of the people on his floor go for weeks without getting any sunshine and fresh air. This wouldn’t be acceptable for children or prisoners. Why is it ok to do this to seniors? We don’t know who to complain to. Nobody seems to care.”
You said it Miriam Oltroggem, and you are so right, it does often seem like no one cares.
#FightTheGoodFight #WeCanCareBetter
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“you said it!” is a place to discover informed comments, inspiring thoughts, short stories, good ideas, provocative opinions, quotable quotes and noteworthy snippets from across my worldwide network.
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https://myalzheimersstory.com/2017/05/02/wandering-is-not-a-symptom-of-dementia/
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My Alzheimer's Story 