Wandering help?

csgay · February 2021

My DH has EO Alzheimers. We are in the 6th year since his diagnosis. We are "managing" life so far. I have some church friends who come sit with him a few hours a week. I can't ask them to do more. I work full time; I HAVE to work....for Insurance, to pay the rent and eat!!! I got a short term grant which helped pay for some respite care, which allowed me some lunch time outings with friends. I have no resources to pay for care, and the time is nearing where he will need it more and more. I have contacted 2 different Hospices and am so frustrated because they don't call back. Adult day care here is $40.00 for about 3 hours a day. I tried to see if I could qualify for Medicaid, but I make too much. And again, I HAVE to work! He is still pretty mobile, and recently started to wander. My neighbors alerted me and I only work about 10 minutes from home so I was able to zip home and get him back in the house. My work has been great, and they have adjusted my hours and allowed me to work at home some but I believe they have done all that they can in that regard. I have even brought him to work but with covid, along with his random behavioral issues (either wanting to hug everyone or cussing them out) I can't do that to my coworkers. I am desperate to keep him safe from wandering, so I found this item called Glidelock.....basically is is a child lock for the door but it allows it to be opened from both sides. (So if there was an emergency and the lock was engaged it could be opened ) Before I lock him in the house I would welcome any ideas/helps/suggestions. Help???

Ed1937 · February 2021

Welcome to the forum. Sorry you are dealing with this. First things first. You cannot lock him in the house by himself. If there were a fire, and he couldn't get out, you would have many more problems than you can imagine. Even without an emergency, if someone reported you, you would still be in a very bad place legally.

Second, if he has EO, he should be able to get disability pay from Social Security. This will come with health insurance, if I'm right.

Third, do your homework to see about local and state programs for help. You might be surprised at what is available. What state are you in? Best of luck to you, and keep us posted.

M1 · February 2021

Agree with Ed that you can't lock him in, that might get you an abuse charge (it certainly would with a child, and this is no different). Are there day programs in your area? you might call your local Alzheimer's Association to find out. Someone is likely going to have to stay with him. So sorry; keep us posted.