Week of July 13 - July 19, 2008

Keeping a helpful eye on Mom while at the office

When someone learns a parent has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, it can be devastating.

But there are things that can be done to keep the parent safe and happy and living at home. Some of them come from thinking creatively in both high-tech and low-tech ways.

Arming a cabinet door with an alert device that triggers an e-mail, strategically placing a live camera in the kitchen and writing notes that give instruction to take pills are all part of an effort to care for a person living with Alzheimer's disease for one California couple.

Lori Preuitt, a news editor, and her husband, Joe, care for Lori's 82-year-old mother, Shirley.

Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two years ago, Shirley is now at a point where she can't be alone for more than an hour or so.

Caring for Shirley is quite a juggling act, but thanks to a few little-known devices, the couple said they are making it work.

Both Lori and Joe have jobs that are within a few miles of their Santa Clara home. This allows them to take quick breaks from work in order to manage Shirley's transitions through the day.

They rely on notes to help Shirley know what to do next. She is greeted in the morning with an empty coffee cup, a glass and a cereal bowl with a note explaining what day it is and what she is going to do on that day.

Most mornings, Lori gives Shirley a wake-up call. There is a phone next to Shirley's bed, and its ring serves as an alarm. It can take Shirley as long as 20 minutes to actually get up and go downstairs for breakfast.

Lori and Joe needed to find a way to know when Shirley was up and moving around the house, so the couple turned to technology.

They use a device from AT&T called Remote Monitor that sends an e-mail when a door is opened or closed. They attached it to a kitchen cabinet door; when Shirley opens the cabinet door to get her morning bowl of Grape Nuts, they get an e-mail.

They also attached a device to the back door. In one case, when Shirley used to be able go on walks alone, it helped make them aware she had locked herself out of the house. Lori got an e-mail that informed her the door had opened when Shirley left for a walk, but it did not send another e-mail to say she had returned in the normal time period. Lori found Shirley quietly sitting on the back patio.

The remote monitoring package also came with a Web-enabled camera, which Lori and Joe placed on top of the kitchen cabinets. It shows both the kitchen and living room and gives Lori a way to keep an eye on Shirley while Lori's at work.

The couple also purchased a cellular phone equipped with a GPS tracking device called Whereifone. Shirley took it with her when she was still able to go on walks alone.

The Whereifone has three buttons. One button dialed Lori, the second dialed Joe and the third red button dialed 911. The phone was never needed, but it gave everyone some peace of mind.

The one time there was concern that Shirley was lost, the tracking option found the phone inside her coat pocket, which was hanging in the front closet of the house. Shirley was safe, resting in her room at the time.

Shirley goes to an adult day care facility called Sarah Care three days a week. She spends the other two work days with a lifelong artist friend in Los Gatos.

All of the devices Lori and Joe use were created for another purpose, but they have transformed them to work for their needs.

Click here for a slideshow of Lori and Joe's ideas and the technologies caringly placed around and about Shirley's home.

Cost Breakdown

The couple also uses low-tech methods to help Shirley get through the day. Along with the handwritten notes, they place Post-its around the house identifying everything from the silverware drawer to which channel is CNN.

They call on close friends to help with the carting about from place to place.

They also subscribe to Netflix so that there is always an old movie to watch.

Lori said she tries to end each night praying the Lord's Prayer out loud with Shirley. She said she is thankful that is one thing Shirley still remembers.

They don't know what will come next for Shirley, but they are confident they will find a way to make it work.

BY:

Lori Preuitt, Managing Editor NBC11.com

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