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July 2, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The hallmark of a person

Abe Novick: Up, up, and aliya

July 1, 2009

Rabbi Avi Shafran: The Road Taken

The Kosher Gourmet by Marialisa Calta: Get into the holiday spirit with these Star-Spangled desserts

June 30, 2009

Rabbi Binyomin Ginsberg: What makes a great parent?

Caroline B. Glick: Ideologue-in-Chief

June 29, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Beware of 'Caveat Emptor'

Steven Emerson: ACLU pushing for more money for Hamas

June 26, 2009

Rabbi Yoni Posnick: Learn the secret to a healthy marriage from a scriptural villain

Caroline B. Glick: Barack Obama vs. International Law

June 25, 2009

Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf: The Absurd Power of Truth

Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkle's strip: Everything's Relative

June 24, 2009

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Advancement of technology is a wake-up call for humanity

The Kosher Gourmet by Andrea Weigl: Summer on a stick: Making frozen treats can be easy, creative and fun

June 23, 2009

Martin M. Bodek: 'On Surnames': And so, We Begin

Caroline B. Glick: The Obama Effect

June 22, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Working for a corrupt firm

N. Richard Greenfield : Where are American Jews?

June 19, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Emotion v. intellect

Caroline B. Glick: Israel's rare opportunity

June 18, 2009

Jonathan Rosenblum: Sometimes it is more essential to define the nature of evil than good

Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkle's strip: Everything's Relative

June 17, 2009

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Language of Confusion

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Nothing pleases Dad more than a thick, juicy onion-smothered steak. Add home-Baked Potato Chips and …

June 16, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Career v. Careersism

Caroline B. Glick: Obama's losing streak and Israel

Richard Z. Chesnoff: ‘Palestinians’: Never Missing an Opportunity …

June 15, 2009

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: How Judea and Samaria can become 'Palestine'

Daniel Pipes: Where Netanyahu's speech failed

June 12, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Some big thoughts about not acting so big

Caroline B. Glick: Obama's High Commissioner

June 11, 2009

Victor Davis Hanson: Our historically challenged President

Mitch Albom: Beware the True Believers

Lewis Grossberger: What we learn from the new Hitler photos

June 10, 2009

Mort Zuckerman: What Obama and his advisors won't -- or refuse to -- grasp about Israel and the Muslim world

The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky Lotsa pasta: Tips, techniques and (amazing) taste

June 9, 2009

Anne Bayefsky: Obama's stunning offense to Israel and the Jewish people

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: America's first Muslim president?

June 8, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Merchant must take responsibility for careless shopper?

Mark Steyn: A superpower that feeds on mediocrity cannot survive for long on leftovers from the past

Richard Z. Chesnoff: How do you say 'kumbaya' in Arabic?

June 5, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: In quest of spirituality

Caroline B. Glick: Obama's Arabian dreams

Charles Krauthammer: The Settlements Myth

June 4, 2009

Paul Greenberg: The War Comes to Little Rock

The Kosher Gourmet by Judy Hevrdejs: Splash it on! Tap your inner jazz musician and improvise when stirring up a vinaigrette

June 3, 2009

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q. Should terrible teacher be exposed?

Jonathan Rosenblum: The Israel Lobby: Missing in Action

June 2, 2009

Dennis Prager: The Speech President Obama Won't Dare Give in Egypt

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Pressure on Israel raises war risk

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review August 19, 2008 / 18 Menachem-Av 5768

Should we move our wandering Mom to a new facility?

By Jan L. Warner & Jan Collins


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Q: After Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's three years ago, my father took care of her at home until he was unable to do so due to stress and safety concerns. (Mom wanders.) When she was home, it sometimes took us hours to find her. She's repeatedly ended up wandering near a busy highway. The police picked her up several times, and Dad was almost charged with neglect.


Finally, when Dad reluctantly agreed to admit her to a nursing home, we emphatically told the facility that if they did not continually watch her, she would be out the door in a heartbeat. The nursing home assured us they had security systems that would prevent this.


However, Mom has been able to get out of the facility three times in the past month. The last time, she was gone for nearly six hours. The facility tells us they are reviewing their systems and have not had this problem before. Should we leave her there or move her to another facility? We are paying a pretty penny for her care.


A: Because of cognitive deficiencies, wanderers misperceive their environment and tend to place themselves in dangerous situations. According to a study by the University of Florida, 60 percent of all Alzheimer's patients will stray at least once. And, of those who are gone for more than 24 hours, up to 46 percent may die. Many more may be injured from exposure to the elements or from being struck by a motor vehicle. With the number of dementia and Alzheimer's patients increasing, wandering is fast becoming a law-enforcement nightmare. And, as your father found out, criminal charges of neglect may be lodged, especially when the conduct is repetitive.


Nursing homes have an obligation — not only to identify wanderers, but also to develop and implement prevention programs. According to federal law, Medicare- and Medicaid-\certified facilities must develop and then review and revise each resident's plan of care every 90 days unless there are significant changes in the resident's needs, in which case more frequent care-plan review is mandated. It seems in your mother's case that the facility's systems are lacking and unacceptable, especially in light of your upfront warnings to the facility about this problem.


WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Does the facility have a specialty unit for Alzheimer's and dementia residents where the environment is designed specifically for the care of residents who wander or are aggressive? Has the facility made environmental modifications to discourage wandering, such as: 1) putting full-length mirrors on doors and exits, 2) camouflaging doors with wall coverings or window treatments, 3) putting stop signs on doors, 4) installing an alarm system on all exits, 5) placing sensors on resident's wrists or ankles that activate alarms when the resident approaches the exit, and/or 6) using chair and bed alarm systems that activate when moved?


WHAT TO DO: In dealing with situations like this, research should be done before admission. Since families generally don't know what to look for and are under tremendous stress, we can't overestimate the value of hiring an experienced geriatric-care manager to assist in choosing a facility that meets the needs of the family. To find a care manager in your area, go to www.caremanager.org. Meanwhile, since your mother is at risk, we suggest that you obtain the facility's records to determine whether there have been other complaints about patient wandering. If security concerns are not resolved quickly, move your mother to another facility.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JAN L. WARNER received his A.B. and J.D. degrees from the University of South Carolina and earned a Master of Legal Letters (L.L.M.) in Taxation from the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a frequent lecturer at legal education and public information programs throughout the United States. His articles have been published in national and state legal publications. Jan Collins began co-authoring Flying SoloŽ in 1989. She has more than 27 years of experience as a journalist, writer, and editor. To comment or ask a question, please click here.

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