German nursing homes started a trend that has taken hold of European nursing
homes throughout the country: fake bus stops for Alzheimer’s
patients.
The idea was first tried at Benrath Senior Center in
Düsseldorf, Germany, who joined forces with a local care association and the
public transportation department to construct an exact replica of a standard bus
stop outside, with one small difference: buses do not use it.
Before this
unique system was created the center frequently had been forced to rely on
police to retrieve the Alzheimer’s patients who often wanted to go to homes and
families that did not exist. After some careful observation, the staff at the
center noticed a trend that escaped Alzheimer's patients often headed directly
to their only exit: public transportation.
The theory of why this type of
deception works is that in Alzheimer’s patients their short-term memory hardly
works at all, but the long-term memory is still active. They know the green and
yellow bus sign and remember that waiting there means they will go home.
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The idea was first tried at Benrath Senior Center in Düsseldorf, Germany, who joined forces with a local care association and the public transportation department to construct an exact replica of a standard bus stop outside, with one small difference: buses do not use it.
Before this unique system was created the center frequently had been forced to rely on police to retrieve the Alzheimer’s patients who often wanted to go to homes and families that did not exist. After some careful observation, the staff at the center noticed a trend that escaped Alzheimer's patients often headed directly to their only exit: public transportation.
The theory of why this type of deception works is that in Alzheimer’s patients their short-term memory hardly works at all, but the long-term memory is still active. They know the green and yellow bus sign and remember that waiting there means they will go home.
More Nutty Facts - Nutty News - Nutty Videos - Nutty Jokes
