Cold weather puts vulnerable groups at risk

Last summer, Zerda Blackmon received a call from authorities notifying her they had found her mother dressed in pajamas about 20 blocks north of her home.
Blackmon filed a report when her mother, who suffers from dementia, left the house unexpectedly.
Shortly after Blackmon filed the report, her mother was found.
While most people are safely warm in their rooms as the polar vortex continues to strike Indiana, some individuals with Alzheimer’s disease run the risk of wandering into the cold and never returning.
Six out of 10 people with Alzheimer’s disease will wander as a result of their inability to recognize familiar locations and people, according to a press release from the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter.  
Director of Programs Linda Altmeyer said she and her co-workers at the association want to encourage those who know victims of dementia to take precautionary measures.
Simple actions such as installing night-lights and monitoring devices and locking doors and windows can make a huge difference, according to the release.
The association is working to prevent the problem of wandering.
“We can even help you plan some activities to do with your loved one if you’re stranded indoors because of snow or frigid temps,”  said Leah Shattuck, the association’s communications director, in an email. “Keeping those with dementia occupied will usually help prevent wandering.”
If a person does wander, the association offers a Safe Return program that will help locate the individual.
A report of a “vulnerable adult” should also be filed with the police no more than 15 minutes after the disappearance.
“Safe Return unites the community to find a missing person with dementia quickly and safely,” Shattuck said.

Follow reporter Kate Starr on Twitter @kastarr7.