Free, extra security for Lynnwood residents with memory impairments

  • Shannon Sessions<br>Lynnwood / Mountlake Terrace Enterprise editor
  • Monday, March 3, 2008 6:47am

LYNNWOOD — The thought of a loved one wandering away and not being able to make their way back home is chilling — and a possible reality to some who have relatives with memory impairments such as Alzheimer’s.

To help ease the worry, the Lynnwood Police Department has started a free service available to all dementia patients living within Lynnwood, said Lynnwood Police crime prevention officer Janet Abbott.

Lynnwood Police Volunteers in Public Service (VIPS) are currently spreading the word to different adult care facilities in the city along with churches and senior centers to educate them on the new program and supply these citizens with identification wristbands, Abbott said.

The wristband includes an identification number and reads that the person wearing the bracelet is memory impaired. It also guides anyone who locates the person wearing the band to call 911 and have them directed to the Lynnwood Police Department.

“If a person is wandering around and seems confused, someone could see the bracelet and know to call 911,” Abbott said. She added, “There’s no personal information on the wristband — which is very important.”

The program includes two wristbands, one that stays on the person’s arm and another that will be kept at the police department in case the first is lost or ruined. The VIPS will also take two photos of the person, one head shot and one full-body shot, and the caregiver and/or family member will also fill out a simple registration form, which will also be stored at the department along with the photos in case of an emergency.

The volunteers will enter the person’s photo and emergency contact number in a department database, she said.

The VIPS, who have been trained to register these folks, hope that because they, as seniors, may be a peer of someone who needs a wristband, this will help the person be more comfortable in accepting one.

The VIPS also have other ideas they believe will make the bracelets attractive to those with memory impairments.

“We also will have stickers we can add to the bracelet to maybe make it look a little more pretty,” said VIPS member Texanna Cato. “Maybe they’ll also like the idea just because it’s police related.”

Cato, along with VIPS Claudette and Louis Martinez, were at a Lynnwood adult care facility recently ready and waiting to place their first wristband.

Claudette said in order to make the person feel comfortable with them, they would first introduce themselves and “sit and get acquainted for a bit,” she said.

Abbott said it’s also a good idea to get clues from the caregiver or family on how the person might react to wearing a bracelet such as this.

While the county does have an electronic monitoring program in place called “Project Lifesaver,” it costs money. The wristband program is free and easy so that more of those in need can utilize the safety program, Abbott said.

The best-case scenario would be, in the event that someone wearing one of these bands went missing, a person could call 911 and give the dispatcher the identification number and the missing person could be returned to their caregiver unharmed, Abbott said. “If it only helps one person — it would be worth it.”

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