image courtesy of harviekrumpet.com
We’ve all heard the news report of an Alzheimer’s patient who wanders away in a moment of disorientation. The most common solution is to simply lock the patients up to protect them. But this seems cruel and can cause more panic.
Radiolab’s podcast tells an incredible story about how the Benrath Senior Center in Dusseldorf, Germany found a caring, and unusual solution.
The center noticed that patients tend to go to public transportation in an effort to get back home. So, they created a fake bus stop directly in front of the facility. And it worked.
Patients trying to escape wander out and sit at the bus stop. This gives the staff a chance to ease them back into the facility.
A bit reminiscent of the Academy Award-winning claymation movie Harvie Krumpet about a man with a lifetime of bad luck. The nursing home he winds up in has a bus stop installed inside the grounds.
Check out the entire story at Radiolab. But, first, go get some tissue—you’ll need it. Then buy or rent Harvie Krumpet, it’s excellent.
