The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

December 12, 2009

Dementia makes demands on families

Precautions can aid care at home

By Patrick Cooley

MERCER COUNTY AREA — The death a week ago of an 85-year-old Wheatland woman was a tragic reminder of the plight of many the area’s elderly residents and the challenges their families face.

Julia Sabulsky, who suffered from dementia, walked away from her home on Riddell Street last Saturday night. She was found dead the next day within the confines of Wheatland Tube. She froze to death a half-mile from her home, according to the coroner.

Authorities said at the time that she most likely got lost and couldn’t find her way back to her house.

As the population ages, there are more and more people with conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It is often difficult for family members to care for their elderly spouses and parents.

That is especially prevalent in areas like Mercer County, where about 18 percent of the population is over 65, compared to 12 percent nationally. In Wheatland, the figure is 23 percent.

Dr. Michael Matthews, a neurologist for UPMC Horizon hospitals in Farrell and Greenville, works with patients who are losing their mental capacity, and often talks to their families about how to care for them.

He said the most difficult time often is when a person first starts to show signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s. When the disease takes full effect, often the person is placed in a home where they are cared for by trained professionals.

“Many families feel guilty about (putting a relative in an assisted living facility or nursing home),” he said. “But sometimes that’s what’s best for them. They have bed checks there, and people who handle them 24 hours a day, whereas an adult caretaker (of a person with dementia) has to go to work.”

There are many ways a person can take precautions when they have a relative with these issues, Dr. Matthews said.

Many alarm systems can be set to alert a person if one of the doors of the house is being opened. There are also GPS sensors that a person can wear so their family knows where they are at all times.

But there are also many less expensive precautions, such as simply making sure all the doors of a house are locked.

“Limit the number of exits to the house, make sure they can’t leave without first getting by you,” Dr. Matthews said. “You can observe or watch them the same way you would watch a younger child. You really can’t take your eyes off them.”

Another simple thing a family can do, he said, is make sure their elderly relatives aren’t over-medicated.

“The tendency to wander increases if they are sick or over-medicated,” Dr. Matthews said. “You want to make sure they are not groggy from meds.”

Loneliness is another reason an elderly person might try to escape the house, he said. A family should be sure that their elderly relative always has something to do, Dr. Matthews said, even if it is something as simple as keeping the television on for them to watch.

He added that there is no subsititute for vigilant neighbors.

“In many cases they might see grandma walking down the street and they’ll get ahold of you,” Dr. Matthews said. “A lot of people tell me that’s how they got their parents back.”

Text Only
Local News
  • Storm blows in fast, leaves damage

    A scattered storm that started in Michigan and pulled in moisture over Lake Erie organized itself into a locally-severe storm system Sunday over Mercer County.

    May 28, 2012

  • transit Transit is once-in-a-lifetime show

    A rare celestial wonder that won’t be seen again for more than a century is set to play out before our eyes and Farrell’s resident astronomer  is giving locals a chance to get a first-hand look at a “black dawn.”

    May 28, 2012 1 Photo

  • Ominous clouds Storms rumble through parts of Mercer County

    Temperatures dropped nearly 20 degrees Sunday as storms rumbled through parts of Mercer County in the afternoon and again in the evening. Some areas experienced high gusting winds during the early storms. The later storms were less windy, but dumped a lot of rain in a short span in the Shenango Valley as well as outlying areas. Temperatures are forecast for in the 90s on Memorial Day, with a chance of storms in the afternoon. Check out Sunday's Herald both in print and here for more details.

     

     

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Board wants pay freeze


    Sharon City School District officials are asking staff to take a wage freeze for the second year in a row to help cover a $1.9 million gap in the 2012-2013 budget in the face of further funding cuts by the state.

    May 27, 2012

  • City taps Pa. grant for downtown facelift


    The colorful flower baskets hanging in downtown Sharon are just one of the planted seeds officials hope will help the once-bustling area grow.

    May 27, 2012

  • pension graphic Pension bomb ticking for city

    The city of Sharon pays more people who don’t work there anymore than folks who still do.

    And the amount of money the city must pay to the retirees is going up about $250,000 next year, a hike that creates more problems for the cash-strapped town, City Manager Scott Andrejchak said.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Church softball league to Mormons: You’re out!

    The Grove City Area Church Softball League’s decision to exclude a Mormon team from Slippery Rock has sparked a controversy far beyond the local sandlot.

    May 26, 2012

  • Fired bus driver files lawsuit

    A Mercer County woman fired from her job as a school bus driver over a 25-year-old drug conviction filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state education official and Jamestown Area School District.

    May 26, 2012

  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012