Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/612945
12 DECEMBER 9-15, 2015 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM WedMD.com says A lzheimer 's is t he most common t y pe of t he dozen or so forms of dement ia. It 's a brain condit ion t hat causes problems w it h t hink ing and memor y. A lt hough most t y pes of dement ia get worse over t ime, t here are drugs t hat can help w it h behav ior changes and ot her sy mptoms. St at ist ically, six in ten people w it h dement ia w ill wander, of ten f rom rest homes and ot her facilit ies where t hey live. A person w it h A lzheimer 's may not remember his or her name or address, and can become disoriented, even in familiar places. Wandering among people w it h dement ia is dangerous, but t here are st rategies and ser v ices to help prevent it . Est ablishment s for t he elderly and disabled usually make reg ular check s on t heir pat ient s. Unfor t unately, exit doors must be kept unlocked f rom t he inside because t hey are f ire exit s. Many cases of lost persons are repor ted locally each year and many more probably go unrepor ted. Recognizing t hat t he problem is expec ted to grow as our populat ion ages, t he A lzheimer 's Family Organizat ion of fers a regist r y for pat ient s who suf fer f rom memor y disorders and have a tendenc y to wander of f. Project Lifesaver prov ides rapid response to save lives and reduce potent ial injur y for adult s and children who wander because of cognit ive disorders. Seniors who are enrolled in Project Lifesaver are given personal t ransmit ters t hat t hey wear. In addit ion to t he locat ion dev ices, Project Lifesaver work s w it h public safet y agencies to t rain t hem on t he risk s associated w it h wandering. Locally, t he Cumberland Count y Sherif f 's Of f ice and t he Pilot Club of Fayet tev ille have teamed up to help families locate wanderers. This past September t he Pilot Club presented Sherif f Moose But ler w it h a check for $1,000 to help f und Project Lifesaver here. This program is suppor ted exclusively w it h donat ions, said Sherif f 's Sg t . Sean Swain. Project Lifesaver makes elect ronic t rack ing bracelet s available to t hose in need. The Sherif f 's Communit y Policing Unit is able to suppor t t he needs of as many as 15 people at a t ime who meet t he qualif icat ions. The t rack ing dev ices are loaned to t hose in need as t hey become available. The bracelet s have t iny bat ter y operated t ransmit ters which emit t rack ing signals. They look like and are t he size of a w rist watch. Then, when a caregiver not if ies t he sherif f 's of f ice t hat a family member is missing , a specially t rained search and rescue team is dispatched to t he area where t he wanderer was last seen. Rescue t imes have literally been reduced f rom hours and days, to just minutes. Team members have been t rained to " k now how to approach t he wanderer, gain his t rust and put t he indiv idual at ease for t he t rip home," says Swain. Informat ion is available at t he sherif f 's of f ice by calling 323-1500. Project Lifesaver: Providing Rapid Response for Those with Cognitive Disorders by JEFF THOMPSON Plays, parades and musicals abound in the Fayetteville area during the holiday season. There is something festive for everyone to enjoy. If you are looking for something out of the norm to complement your traditional pageant and light show, take the Polar Bear Plunge at Smith Lake Dec. 12. The event, hosted by Fort Bragg's Morale Welfare and Recreation Division, started four years ago as entertainment for soldiers before the usual mass exodus to their home states during the holiday block leave period. "There's no other event like it in the Fayetteville area," said Sabina Bryant, the Chief of Outdoor Recreation for Fort Bragg's MWR. With the success of the first year, MWR added the plunge to the annual calendar. The event is open to the public and it keeps growing. "It evolved from 80 people to more than 300," Bryant said. "Last year about 350 participated." After a sing-along to get things started, a countdown prepares participants. "We line people up for a mass plunge," Bryant said. "The average water temperature is 63-67 degrees, it depends on the weather leading up to the event. It's not actually freezing, but still kind of nippy." Participants stay in the lake as long as they can stand it, Bryant said, "typically, not more than five minutes in the water." Lifeguards will be on-site to monitor safe practices. Bryant said there will be heat blankets and heated tents on-site to warm up participants. Returning plungers will see an addition to the event this year. "This year we will have 'the iceberg' in the water if people want to challenge themselves," Bryant said. 'The iceberg ' is a giant inf lat able f loat ing in t he lake. "Participants can plunge in and swim the 150 feet out to the iceberg, climb it and jump back in the water and swim to shore," Bryant said. She said she sees a lot of repeat participants. "The big thing is to team up and dress alike in costumes," Bryant said. For those not quite ready to plunge into 60-degree water in the middle of December, family-friendly activities like marshmallow roasting over fire rings, music, hay wagon rides and games are definite crowd pleasers. The Highland Games have log throws, the Polar Bear Plunge will have a Christmas tree launch, Bryant said. Also, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Frost y, Rudolph and the Grinch will be on hand to entertain. "It is a family event," she said. "We get participants from children to seniors. Those under 18 need consent of a parent or guardian. We do not recommend anyone younger than five to actually plunge." The Polar Bear Plunge takes place at 12 p.m. Dec. 12 at Smith Lake Recreation Area and is open to the public. Participants can register online, in person at Smith Lake or on the day of the event. Pre-registration continues until Dec. 9 with a fee of $10. Same day registration costs $15 and begins at 10 a.m. Dec. 12. Spectators are welcome, free of charge. All registered plungers will receive an "I Survived the Smith Lake Polar Bear Plunge" long-sleeved T-shirt. Costumes are encouraged. Concessions will be available for purchase. For more information or to register, visit http:// bragg.armymwr.com/us/bragg/ft-bragg-events/ polar-bear-plunge/?eID=325601 or call 396-5979. Polar Bear Plunge at Smith Lake by APRIL OLSEN NEWS The Smith Lake Polar Bear Plunge is a fun-filled, fam- ily friendly event. It is set for Dec. 12. . APRIL's pic and bio box here APRIL OLSEN, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200