SOUTH PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 23, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Senior Helpers of South Palm Beach has launched a series of Alzheimer's training programs. These programs are designed to educate local police and firefighter First Responders on how to minimize conflict when arriving at the home of a senior, who lives with Alzheimer's who has placed a call into 911. Emergency 911 calls by seniors suffering from Alzheimer's are on the rise, particularly in the Delray Beach and Boca Raton areas of Florida. However, most calls are not emergencies and the seniors who place them feel threatened, scared and confused when first responders arrive.
"People suffering from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia frequently place 911 calls when there are no signs of an emergency," says Michael Mohl, owner and manager of Senior Helpers South Palm Beach. "When first responders show up, it can be a very confrontational situation, because they don't know how to properly respond to an Alzheimer's patient. We decided to take our internal training on Alzheimer's for our caregivers and set up a training program for the first responders in the Delray Beach and Boca Raton areas."
The first set of training programs were completed in December and the second set of training programs will roll out in January 2015. The program is designed for First Responders to engage properly with Alzheimer's or Dementia patients in the moderate stage of the disease, that typically have extremely limited peripheral vision. It emphasizes how to correctly approach this type of patient to de-escalate a confrontation upon arrival, how to communicate effectively, how to develop positive physical approach methods that enable First Responders to comfort and calm seniors with Alzheimer's, and how to use visual cues to minimize confusion with seniors who have weak or no peripheral vision.
About Senior Helpers:
Senior Helpers connects professional caregivers with seniors who wish to live at home as opposed to a nursing or assisted living facility. The company has over 300 franchises in 42 states and one in Canada offering a wide range of personal and companion care services to assist seniors living independently with a strong focus on quality of life for the client and peace of mind for their families. Senior Helpers strives to be the leading companion and personal care provider that offers dependable, consistent and affordable home care.