Month: March 2018

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How Do You Alzheimer’s Proof a Car?

There are a number of reasons why automobiles pose particular risks for persons afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Most obviously, a motor vehicle is a 2,000-lb missile in the hands of an impaired driver. And, if it is anything, Alzheimer’s is a mental impairment.

But not all perils presuppose that the Alzheimer’s sufferer is in the driver’s seat. Dangers abound for passengers as well.

But there are several things that you can do with a car to minimize the risk to the patient and to others.

(Readers will observe that there are numerous points of contact between “Alzheimer’s proofing” and childproofing. For a few thoughts on that topic, see my overview, HERE.)

Let’s begin by distinguishing various categories of danger. On the one hand, there are dangers to persons inside of a car and, on the other hand, there are dangers to persons outside of a car.

Minimizing Dangers Inside of a Car

To add a further layer of complexity, this arguably has two versions to it. On one version, the Alzheimer’s sufferer is the driver (see the subsection “Supervise, Supervise, Supervise!” below) and on another (probably the more usual case for readers), he or she is a passenger.

1.     Utilize Your Child Safety Locks

As discussed in a previous article (HERE), many childproofing suggestions pull double duty for Alzheimer’s proofing. In this case, we note that many (even most) sedans come with special safety latches built into the rear doors. On the majority of passenger cars built in the United States since the 1980s, turning on this safety feature is as easy as flipping as switch.

The function of the child lock is easily summarized. Most doors can be opened (and many can be unlocked) from within the cabin by simply pulling on the interior door handle. However, once the child-lock system has been engaged, the door cannot be opened from the inside. Even if the door is unlocked, the occupant has to be released from the cabin by someone operating the exterior door handle.

The only “loophole” is that the exterior door handle can be operated by reaching outside the vehicle – for example, through an open window. So, in addition to using the child-safety locks…

2.     Utilize Your Window-Switch Locks

On most modern vehicles that are equipped with power-window switches, there is a master panel located on the driver’s door panel. On that door panel, usually, there is a “lock” or “window lock” button situated near the window switch assembly. The button gives the driver the ability to override auxiliary door switches so that the window positions on passenger doors cannot be changed without the driver’s authorization. Of course, it was designed primarily with children in mind.  The idea was to prevent youngsters from playing around with the windows – perhaps raising and lowering them haphazardly, or at inappropriate times – and possibly getting one of their little digits crushed in the process.

But, as in other cases, what works to prevent children from getting hurt sometimes also translates into a workable solution for keeping Alzheimer’s patients out of trouble.

3.     Clean up the Cabin Interior

This one may seem commonsensical, but it’s worth mentioning, nonetheless. Don’t leave a lot of trash lying around – anywhere. But inside the vehicle, it is impractical to expect that you can thwart your loved one’s every peculiar gesture while you’re driving the car. In other words, you may notice that mom or grandpa is straining to pick something up, but there will be little that you can do about it when you’re operating the vehicle. Before you put an Alzheimer’s sufferer in your car, double check that there is nothing dangerous (or just disgusting) within his or her visual field. If you encounter trash, discard it! If it’s something that you need to keep with you – like pepper spray or a first-aid kit, then at least put it inside of the glovebox. Most gloveboxes can be locked with your key.

4.     Consider Using a Seatbelt-Button “Guard”

I have seen a few of these. Don’t be put off if the gizmo is stocked in the childproofing section – or even in pet supplies. The last thing you want is for grandma to release her seatbelt before it is safe to do so. Placing a “guard” over the seatbelt button can make it more difficult for grandma to inadvertently (or advertently!) trigger the retraction of her safety belt. Doubtless there are various models available, but the general idea is that releasing the guard takes a bit more dexterity than just depressing the seatbelt button. Alzheimer’s certainly diminishes fine motor skills, making it less likely that grandma (or whoever) will be able to defeat the extra layer of security. Remember: we’re trying to stack the odds in our favor.

Minimizing Dangers Outside of the Car

1.     Restricting the Keys

One important consideration is going to be access to the vehicle’s keys. This is very basic. If a person has some form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, it may be necessary to restrict access to those keys for a number of reasons.

Why Might You Have to Restrict Key Access?

Depending upon the degree of impairment, it might be that the person in question can no longer safely or reliably operate a motor vehicle at all. So, one primary reason to restrict key access is simply to prevent your loved one from being able to drive the car on the road in the usual sense. Even starting a car and leaving it to idle in place can pose a danger (for example, with respect to things like carbon-monoxide buildup – click HERE for recommended CO detectors), especially if the vehicle is enclosed inside of a garage. (Of course, it’s a good practice to place carbon monoxide detectors inside of the garage and inside of the living space. I personally recommend getting a low-level detector, even though it costs a bit more, because of the fact that most detectors do you not report low-level conditions that can be dangerous over time.)

How Can You Restrict Access to the Keys?

A.     Never leave the keys lying around; hide them. (As a special case, especially do not leave your keys inside of the ignition!)

Alzheimer’s is peculiar. People with the condition have periods of lucidity. Do not count on your aged mom, dad, grandma or grandpa being unable to recall that these keys go with that car. The best strategy is a comprehensive one, with layers of redundancy.

The first thing to do is to place the keys inside of a lock box or inside of a locked drawer or safe.

B.      Alternatively, secure the keys some other way – for example, keep them on your person.

If it is inconvenient or otherwise infeasible to lock the car keys away someplace, another option is just to hang onto them yourself. Add your aging relative’s car key onto your own keychain, for instance. Or just keep their entire key ring in a pocket.

As I have mentioned in other places, I am a big believer in redundancy. So even after you have restricted access to the keys (e.g., by locking them safely out-of-reach or keeping hold of them), I would still recommend restricting access to the vehicle in other ways.

2.     Controlling Entry to the Garage

If the car is inside of a garage, then you can do several things. Firstly, you can secure the door from the house to the garage – if such a door exists. Of course, the obvious first pass attempt would be to keep the door locked in the typical sense. If this is the route that you wish to go, a double-keyed deadbolt would be advisable.

In my dad’s case, I found a little gadget called a door “Guardian” and installed it on the relevant door. When engaged, the ingenious device holds the door closed, even if the usual locking mechanisms have been unlocked. The Guardian can be mounted up high, which is advantageous because I found that my dad seemed not to even notice that it was there. It’s also ideal for the present application because the disengagement of the Guardian, while easily accomplished by an adult possessed of all his or her mental faculties, is complex enough to frustrate a person with diminished cognition.

It may also be necessary to stow the garage-door openers, to prevent the Alzheimer’s-afflicted individual from gaining access to the vehicle from the driveway. However, I would also recommend securing the main entryway, to lessen or eliminate the possibility that mom or grandpa will be able to get outside unsupervised.

3.     Defeating the Starting System

Another thing that you can do is install (or have installed) an inline switch between the vehicle’s battery and the starting circuit. The function of such a switch is basically to disable the car’s starter, even if dad or grandma get past your other measures. An alternative would be to have a full alarm system put on the car (which might not be such a bad idea, for other reasons). Many vehicle security systems include a “starter-interrupt relay” that prevents the car from being started – even with the key in the ignition.

(For specific product recommendations, see HERE.)

4.     Sell, Donate, or Otherwise Get Rid of the Car

A final suggestion – and a harder pill to swallow for some families – is to simply get rid of grandpa’s car. Of course, this doesn’t safeguard against the Alzheimer’s patient absconding with someone else’s car. But, truthfully, such a situation is probably out of the realm of the normal. Alzheimer’s decreases cognitive function. A sufferer is unlikely to be able to devise a plot to steal your car. What is more typical is that dad or grandma simply wants to do what he or she has always done: drive. So, they go to the usual place to find the key and try the usual things to get to the familiar car. The name of the game is Making It Difficult. But there is no substitute for supervision.

Supervise, Supervise, Supervise!

Even after you have secured the keys; even after you have interrupted the battery; even after you have secured the garage doors or emptied the garage altogether; there is no replacement for supervision. In many ways, a person with Alzheimer’s is like a child. Surrounded with environmental perils, such an individual lacks the discrimination to avoid (or get out of) danger. The bottom line? Your loved one needs your constant and watchful supervision.

When Should You Begin Alzheimer’s Proofing?

See here:

What Do We Mean by “Alzheimer’s Proofing”?

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Why Is Purple the Color for Alzheimer’s Awareness?

An Overview of the Symbolism Behind the Color Purple

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.” – Shug Avery, The Color Purple[1]

In a Nutshell

Purple has become the “official” color of Alzheimer’s awareness and other, allied movements. During the assigned month of November,[2] we encounter repeated entreaties to “Go Purple,” by donning some shade of the color that includes indigo, lavender, lilac, orchid, periwinkle, etc. Specifically, the Alzheimer’s Association variant appears to be a close cousin of iris or violet. Full disclosure: I am not a color theorist!

But why purple? A survey of the available information doesn’t reveal much on this specific question. As far as I can tell, therefore, the answer must remain somewhat speculative. It could simply be that Alzheimer’s Association founder Jerome Stone’s wife, Evelyn,[3] because of whom the organization was founded, happen to like purple. But, on the supposition that there is some deeper meaning lurking about, we might say something like the following.

A short answer: Recall from grade-school art class that purple is a product[4] of red and blue.  In general, dark red symbolizes things that are mysterious and secret, and celestial blue variously represents dreams as well as the cold emptiness of vast bodies like the ocean and sky.[5] In a similar way, Alzheimer’s Disease is a mysterious entity or force that sucks hapless sufferers into a veritable vacuum that, to bystanders, appears to be close to a waking nightmare.

Curiously, purple or violet itself is reported by some writers to be “the color of …clarity of mind …and wisdom.”[6] So there would also seem to be a note of hopeful anticipation in the chosen hue. Perhaps it is no more complicated than the notion conveyed in the opening quotation: Purple reminds us to notice the “little things,” before we – or someone we love – is unable to do so.

But…if it is more complicated, then maybe some of the following will assist interested readers in digging beneath the surface.

At Greater Length

At first blush, purple may seem unsuitable for representing a brain-wasting condition. After all, historically, purple – sometimes itself classified as a variant of red – has nobler associations.

Monarchy and Royalty

For example, purple is a common color for aristocrats and rulers.[7] This has a long pedigree. “[I]n Rome[, purple] was the colour of generals, nobles and patricians. Consequently it became the imperial colour.”[8] According to symbologists Chevalier and Gheerbrant, “…purple (or deep or light violet) …[was] chosen by Constantine for the labarum,” or chi–rho symbol.[9] This consideration leads us onward to the following.

Christian Symbolism

Moving forward in history, this rich color is observed on the specialized clothing, or “vestments,” of Catholic clergymen during the liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent.[10] Both of these periods of time, in the Church’s reckoning, have to do with hardship and preparation. Traditionally, Advent precedes the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas, while Lent comes before, and prepares the Christian for, the memorial of his death and resurrection at Easter.

The Lenten season, in particular, is associated with sacrifice. Catholics commonly “give up something” for Lent. Catholic priests may also wear purple while administering the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, previously called “last rites” or “extreme unction.”[11]

Similarly, in the Eastern Church: “Light colors (white and green) are preferred [for clergy] for high festivals (esp. Easter), and dark colors (purple, blue, dark red, black) for services of penance and mourning.”[12]

It would seem that these uses of purple move us closer to the experience of an Alzheimer’s sufferer.

An Alchemical Angle? The Phoenix

Before you furrow your brow at the suggestion that there could be an alchemical aspect to our question, notice that the Alzheimer’s Association describes its symbol in terms of the language of the duality of “people and science.”[13] In a rough-and-ready way, alchemy has to do with transformation – specifically a sort of quasi-scientific transformation of human beings, allegorized as the turning of base metals (like lead) into gold.

Speaking of gold, Dennis Hauck informs us that gold is symbolized by “the sun, and gold was considered a king of concealed solar light. Sol [the sun] is the King of alchemy, and his royal purple color is the indicator of gold particles in solution. …Pure colloidal gold …has a royal purple hue… Historically, colloidal gold has been found useful in cases of …nervous unbalance [sic] because it seems to help …stimulate the nerves.”[14] (For more on colloidal gold, see HERE.)

The Alzheimer’s Association is certainly aiming to facilitate the transformation of an Alzheimer’s-afflicted brain into a higher-functioning one. Is this broadly “alchemical”? Perhaps. Is this definitive? Hardly. Still, it is worth observing that alchemy is rife with references to purple.

As offbeat writer Stuart Nettleton asserts: “Purple in Biblical and classical times” often denoted “…‘Red’…”.[15] With this in mind, note that the concluding stage of the alchemical “major work” (magnum opus), usually known as the “reddening,” is sometimes instead called iosis or purpureus, that is, the “purpling.”[16] Stuart Nettleton declares: “The purple color of lilac or lavender is the color of wisdom and the end of the [alchemical] work.”[17]

By some accounts, the end of the alchemical “work” is none other than the “Philosopher’s Stone.” Hence the color purple is arguably a key symbol for the powers of transformation.

Observe also that the mythical phoenix (also called the bennu or firebird) – depicted as red in the recent Harry Potter movies[18] – is associated with “purple.” “This fabulous bird was held to be reddish purple, the colour of the vital force… This is derived from ‘Phoenician,’ the people who discovered the properties of purple dye.”[19] Indeed, the phoenix and the Philosopher’s Stone are supposedly interconnected symbols.[20] Confused yet??

As an aside, it is believed by some that “in Ancient Egypt, the bird concerned was the purple heron…”.[21]

Whatever its origination, the fabled phoenix came to symbolize a cycle of death and rebirth – through a kind of self-inflicted fire. Relatedly, purple is “also a funereal colour …connected with death.”[22]

It’s also sometimes thought of as a “soul-bird.” “This purple-hued fire-bird – that is, a creature composed of the life-force – symbolized the soul to the Ancient Egyptians.”[23]

Speaking, again, of this “circle of life,” we turn once more to Chevalier and Gheerbrant who intriguingly comment that “violet lies directly opposite green. Thus it stands, not for the springtime passage from death into life, but for the autumnal passage from life into death… Violet may …be the other side of green and… linked to the symbolism of the mouth. Violet …is the mouth which swallows and puts out the light, while green is the mouth which regurgitates and rekindles it.”[24]

Hypnosis, Secrecy, and Other Odds and Ends

Researcher Rosemary Guiley claims that the proto-hypnotist Franz Anton Mesmer was known to wear purple robes.[25] Moreover, according to the same author, purple-colored candles are used in certain streams of “magic” (for instance, Wicca), for such things relevant purposes as “…reversing a curse; [and] speeding healing in illness…”.[26] Is the condition or “illness” of Alzheimer’s also a sort of curse? Many families would say so.

Investigator Dennis Hauck reports that “[b]lue or purple roses indicate spiritual longing, meditation, and the promise of a perfect world.”[27]

“[V]iolet is the colour of secrecy…”.[28] One way of thinking about it is as though it is partially composed of dark red, which is “…nocturnal, …secret, and …stands …for the mystery of life.”[29] Dark red is also said to symbolize knowledge, especially when hidden beneath some covering of blue.[30]

Typically, pairing colors in this way designates “gnosis,” or the sort of esoteric wisdom that only a few are able to acquire – usually after initiation into some secret society. But it is interesting to think of how this symbol complex applies to the Alzheimer’s patient – possessed, one presumes, of memories and information that are veiled beneath a layer of “amyloid plaques and tangles” (for more on which, see HERE.)

Notes:

[1] Alice Walker, The Color Purple, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1982, p. 196.

[2] Relatedly, June is deemed “Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month,” while the date of September 21 is designated “Alzheimer’s Action Day.”

[3] See “In Memory of our Founder and Friend,” <https://www.alz.org/jeromestone/overview.asp>.

[4] Speaking of a sort of color combination known as “subtractive.”

[5] See Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, John Buchanan-Brown, transl., New York: Penguin, 1996, pp. 102f and 792f.

[6] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 1068-1069.

[7] See Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 159. On the other hand, maybe we’re not always right to place royalty on a pedestal. See this shockingly titled article from the British-based newspaper the Daily Mail: Fiona MacRae, “British Royalty Dined on Human Flesh (But Don’t Worry It Was 300 Years Ago),” Mar. 6, 2016, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1389142/British-royalty-dined-human-flesh-dont-worry-300-years-ago.html>.

[8] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 794. For the tie-in to Phoenicia, see further on in the text.

[9] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 159.

[10] The Use of Color in the Catholic Liturgical Year,” <http://www.dummies.com/religion/christianity/catholicism/the-use-of-color-in-the-catholic-liturgical-year/>. On Lent, see for example the purple decorations on Maundy (“Holy”) Thursday and Good Friday.

[11] Purple is also used within Roman Catholicism to signify the ecclesiological “rank” of bishop. “The pileus (also called a soli Deo), the small, round skullcap, is white for the pope, red for cardinals, purple for bishops, but otherwise black [for priests].” According to “Vestments,” David Barrett, Geoffrey Bromiley, et al., eds., Encyclopedia of Christianity, vol. 5, Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publ.; Leiden: Brill, 2008, p. 675.

[12] “Vestments,” Barrett, Bromiley, et al., eds., Encyclopedia of Christianity, vol. 5, p. 675.

[13] See “About Our Symbol,” <https://www.alz.org/about_us_about_our_symbol.asp>.

[14] Dennis William Hauck, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy, New York: Penguin, 2008, pp. 210 & 257.

[15] Stuart Nettleton, The Alchemy Key: The Mystical Provenance of the Philosophers’ Stone, 11th ed., Sydney, Australia: privately publ., 2002, p. 451, n. 31.

[16] It is usually subsumed under the final phase: rubedo, or “reddening.” Writers disagree about whether ancient alchemy had three, four, or even five stages. In the threefold taxonomy, the process is given as (1) nigredo (blackening/melanosis); (2) albedo (whitening/leukosis); and (3) rubedo (reddening, purpling/iosis). Sometimes a single intermediate, namely citrinitas/flavum (yellowing/xanthosis) is listed between albedo and rubedo, yielding four stages. Other times, two intermediate stages are given: citrinitas and viriditas (greening/prasinosis). See: Matilde Battistini, Astrology, Magic, and Alchemy in Art, Los Angeles: Getty Publications, 2007, p. 320; Hauck, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy, passim, but esp. p. 150; and P. T. Mistlberger, “Introduction to Psycho-Spiritual Alchemym” 2012, <http://www.ptmistlberger.com/psychospiritual-alchemy.php>.

[17] The Alchemy Key, p. 250.

[18] These movies also make mention of the Philosopher’s Stone, or the “Sorcerer’s Stone.”

[19] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 752. See also p. 110. On cloth, this was called “Phoenician” or “Tyrian purple.” Apparently, there was also a version of coloration, used on glassware and other vessels, that was called “purple of Cassius.”

[20] See, again, Nettleton, The Alchemy Key, pp. 296 & 326.

[21] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 752. See also p. 503.

[22] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 752. See also p. 793.

[23] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 752. See also p. 90.

[24] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 752. See also p. 1069.

[25] “Mesmer, Franz Anton (1734–1815),” Rosemary Ellen Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy, New York: Facts on File, 2006, p. 195.

[26] “Candles,” Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy, p. 54.

[27] Hauck, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy, p. 65.

[28] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 752. See also p. 1069.

[29] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, p. 752. See also p. 792.

[30] As often occurs in the Tarot deck with trumps such as the “High Priestess” (or “Papess”) and the “Empress.”