November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month

NORTH CANTON November is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month.

Home Instead Senior Care in North Canton is using the month to introduce a new awareness program. It has launched the Alzheimer's Friendly Business Program to help build awareness of people with Alzheimer's who may frequent a business.

The program is designed to help local families feel less isolated and feel more welcome when shopping or eating at local businesses. Employees of the business are trained to recognize individuals who exhibit signs of Alzheimer's and how to interact with them.

"People are living longer and many people are more aware of Alzheimer's and instead of keeping people with Alzheimer's at home all the time, family members are bringing them out to eat and shop and to do other activities," said Arlene Mumm, educational director at Home Instead. "Because there are people with Alzheimer's in the businesses, we felt there was a need to educate business owners and their employees on what to expect and how to handle certain situations that may arise. There are times that someone may go out on their own and end up in a local grocery store or other business. That person may be pacing outside a business or may be trying to buy something inside. He or she can get confused and lost. It's important for people to know the proper way to approach and help them."

The bottom line is to do what it takes to ensure the person's safety. Mumm suggests several steps to helping a person with Alzheimer's who may come into a local business:

· Always, call 911 for emergency medical services to come and help the person.

· Use personal judgment on whether to approach the person. If you do approach, be friendly and open. Ask what they need in a friendly manner.

· If a person is in a store and is confused about purchasing an item, help narrow their choices. Instead of having 10 different types of bread, narrow it down to two or three styles when helping them make a selection.

· If a person with Alzheimer's comes in with their family to a restaurant and gets confused over what to order, it helps if the server can narrow the selections by telling the person about the day's specials.

· If a person with Alzheimer's gets agitated while inside a business, its best to take the person to a secluded area and redirect their thought process by asking them about the weather or if they like to play golf or other benign questions.

· If a person becomes upset when dining with the family, it will help if the family is moved to a more private spot in the restaurant.

"A few types of behaviors local businesses can be watchful for is for a person who seems to be confused or they have difficulty explaining what they want," Mumm said. "The person might also be a bit agitated or they tell you they're not sure where they are at the moment."

Home Instead offers free workshops in their classrooms or Mumm said she can come to the business and work with any company to learn more. She said there is also an online training resource at www.alzheimersfriendlybusiness.com. The companies that go through training will receive a window decal designating them as an Alzheimer's Friendly Business.

Mumm said that families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's begin to feel isolated because they are uncomfortable taking their loved one out in public because of how unpredictable the disease becomes.

She said the Alzheimer's Friendly Business program is just one of the many ways Home Instead works to build community awareness.

According to Alzheimer's Disease International, there are 46.8 million people worldwide living with dementia. That number is expected to grow to a staggering 74.7 million by 2030 and 131.5 million in 2050. Health care costs worldwide are estimated to be $818 billion in 2015.