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November is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month: SafetyNet by LoJack Expert Provides Tips to Help Protect Loved Ones With Alzheimer's From Wandering

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WESTWOOD, Mass., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --



             Currently, an estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages
             have Alzheimer's and, according to Maria Shriver, 10
             million women are affected by the disease-either as
             patients or caregivers. Recognizing the enormity of this
             issue, LoJack Corporation developed SafetyNet by LoJack,
             a service that enables public safety agencies to search
             for and rescue people with Alzheimer's and other similar
             conditions who wander and become lost - a common, yet
    WHAT:    life-threatening issue.

             Expert Scott Martin, Law Enforcement Director for
             SafetyNet, can speak to the dangerous issue of wandering
             and provide valuable tips (below) that will help keep
             Alzheimer's patients safe and offer peace of mind to
             their caregivers.  This effort is part of SafetyNet's
             education initiative to help protect people with this
    WHO:     debilitating disease.

             Below is Martin's 10-Step Approach to Keeping People with
    TIPS:    Alzheimer's Safe:

PROVIDE INFORMATION TO HELP WITH SEARCH AND RESCUE:

    --  Advise Local Responders First - Fill out a 9-1-1 Disability Indicator
        form and submit it to your local public safety agency.  The information
        on the form alerts public safety that a person residing at that address
        may require special assistance during an emergency.  Also, fill out a
        more detailed handout with this information that you can provide to
        first responders and search and rescue personnel in the event of a
        wandering incident.
    --  Inform Your Neighbors - Give your neighbors a similar handout with a
        picture of the person you are caring for, physical characteristics and
        emergency contact information.  You may want to describe the person's
        fears, habits and explain how to best communicate with and calm them. 
        Ask them to contact you immediately if they see this person wandering
        outside their home.
    --  Tag Personal Items - List emergency contact information on tags in shoes
        and on clothing in case your loved one does wander and become lost.

SAFEGUARD THE LIVING SPACE - INSIDE AND OUT

    --  Hide Triggers that Might Encourage Departure - Remove items such as
        hats, coats, boots, scarves, keys and suitcases that may prompt your
        loved one to go outside.
    --  Hang a "Do Not Enter" Sign on the Door - This sign may help redirect and
        discourage a person with Alzheimer's from opening the door.
    --  Install a Fence Around Your Property - Set latches on the outside of
        gates and make sure they are in an area where the person you are caring
        for can't reach them.
    --  Use Simple Monitors, Remote Alerts and Locks - Attach a monitor to the
        door that detects when it opens; use a caregiver chime alert unit, which
        sounds when the door is open; combine these with locks on all doors
        including front, garage and basement.

REGISTER AND/OR ENROLL IN PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE A SAFE RESCUE

    --  Register Your Loved One's Information - With information registered in a
        secure database, such as the National Silver Alert Program, emergency
        responders are provided with critical information necessary in the event
        of a wandering incident or a medical emergency.
    --  Consider an Identification Bracelet - An ID bracelet, like the one
        offered through the Alzheimer's Association's MedicAlert + Safe Return
        program, helps the police or a Good Samaritan get a missing person back
        home safely or medical attention.
    --  Consider a Program that Offers a Personal Tracking Device - Programs
        that feature Radio Frequency (RF)-based personal tracking devices, such
        as SafetyNet by LoJack, are an excellent source of peace of mind for
        caregivers and help protect and locate someone in the event they do
        wander and go missing.  An RF device is ideal for people at risk of
        wandering because, unlike a GPS or cellular device, it has strong
        signals that can penetrate buildings, garages, water, dense foliage and
        steel structures.

Resources such as a 9-1-1 Disability Indicator Form, Neighbor Form and First Responders Sheet are all available as downloads on SafetyNet's information hub for caregivers - http://www.safetynetsource.com/category/alzheimers/ (under "resources") - as well as its Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/lojacksafetynet - and Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/SafetyNetSource - pages.



                          To arrange an interview with Scott
    CONTACT:              Martin, please contact the following:

    Paul McMahon         Laura Feng           Jeanne Bock
    LoJack Corporation   Tier One Partners    Tier One Partners
    781-251-4130         978-975-1414         781-861-5249

SOURCE LoJack Corporation



 
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