What You Didn't Know About

Alzheimer's Disease

Jump to: Seminar Description Instructor's Biography

Thousand Oaks DART is privileged to have Kimberly R. Kelly, Founder and Executive Director of “Project Far From Home” present a seminar in the Conejo Valley for personnel associated with searching and caring for ALZHEIMER’S patients and we would like to extend an invitation to you and your organization.

DATE: 06 March 2010 (Saturday)
CHECK IN: 07:15 am - 08:00 am (Refreshments)
SEMINAR TIME: 08:00 am - 12:00 pm (FREE SEMINAR)
LOCATION: Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza - Scherr Forum Theater
2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Sponsored by the Thousand Oaks Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART)

RSVP by March 3rd to insure sufficient materials at:

For further information please contact us using:

Email at alzheimers2010@todart.org
or call Thousand Oaks DART at (805) 338-1558

For more information on “Project Far From Home” please visit the website at www.projectfarfromhome.org.

According to the Alzheimer's Association -

An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. This number has more than doubled since 1980. Estimates predict that by the year 2050 that number could be as high as 16 million!

A Gallup poll commissioned by the Alzheimer's Association found that 1 in 10 Americans have a family member with Alzheimer's and 1 in 3 know someone with the disease.

Seminar: Missing At Risk: Understanding and Managing the Search for the Missing At Risk Alzheimer's and Dementia Subject

Speaker: Kimberly R. Kelly, Director of Project Far From Home

Seminar Description:
This seminar is a condensed version of the fulltime course normally presented and described below which also includes hands-on and field searches. Kimberly R. Kelly’s biography follows the course description.

Course Description:

"911...what is your emergency?"

"My mother is gone! She has Alzheimer’s disease and wandered away," the voice is frantic. "Please, send someone quickly!"

Every day across the United States, this scenario is played, and re-played, by law enforcement officers, and search and rescue teams, who respond to missing Alzheimer’s persons. Yet, while this type of call has become more and more commonplace, many persons underestimate the severity of danger that a wandering Alzheimer’s person faces.

'Missing At Risk: Understanding and Managing the Search for the Missing At Risk Alzheimer's and Dementia Subject' is a comprehensive course designed for law enforcement,search and rescue, fire/EMS/public safety personnel, senior care facilities or caregivers who may encounter, or search for, a missing dementia subject.

Because so much of the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) subject's lost person behavior manifests directly into actions in the field, searchers must clearly understand the disease process. "Missing At Risk" walks the student through the progression of the disease, and how that progression, and its related behaviors, so dramatically affect search management for these subjects.

Searchers learn, through use of audio, video, hands-on examples of actual searches, how to determine whether a subject may be suffering from Alzheimer's (or related dementias); how to properly interview family and caregivers; how to manage the search incident; facts and myths of the AD search; search methods and techniques as well as use of canines, dive teams, trackers, and medical considerations specific to the AD search; how to approach an AD subject in the field, and more.

It is only by understanding this disease, and how it manifests, that we can properly search for, and succesfully locate, these subjects. Education is power, and this seminar clearly and methodically teaches you how to properly harness the power of your teams to better manage the search for missing Alzheimer's and dementia subjects. It is this we do, so that others may live.

Has This Class Been Given Before: Yes.
Kimberly R. Kelly, and Project Far From Home, have been teaching this program since October, 1995, and have travelled extensively, teaching, lecturing, and instructing throughout New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, California, and many other states, as well as providing phone support to international missions for missing Alzheimer's wanderers in Canada and Mexico. The United States Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue Teams inSan Diego and El Paso, Texas, use this class for its BORSTAR agents. The Alzheimer's Association of the Northwest region, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and affiliated chapters have been using this program since 1999, as have law enforcement agencies throughout the Pacific Northwest, to train its law enforcement officers, code enforcement officers, dispatchers, animal control officers, fire departments, search and rescue teams, and other rescue/public safety agencies. This class has been presented at SAR City in Barstow, CA continuously since 1996 and at the California Reserve Peace Officers Association (CRPOA)'s annual ARPOC conference since 1999, always ranking among top classes.

Instructor Biography: Ms. Kimberly R. Kelly is:

A retired reserve lieutenant and SAR specialist with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
Primarily assigned as Lieutenant of the Training Unit, and Search and Rescue Academy, San Diego County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team.
Training sergeant for the mounted, training and underwater search and recovery units,
Acting lieutenant for the training unit,
Certified as a technical rescue specialist and medical unit support personnel.
Performing field work as a canine handler for Dolores, Colorado, K9 Seach and Rescue, www.k9team.org
Commander and a operational field specialist with 1SRG: 1st Special Response Group, www.1SRG.org , an international, non-governmental (NGO) non-profit search and rescue team that specializes in rescue and recovery in harsh or extreme locations globally.
Founder and executive director of Project Far From Home, a national law enforcement educational program designed to teach law enforcement and search and rescue teams about missing at risk Alzheimer's and dementia subjects.
The author of "Project Far From Home: Understanding and Managing the Search for the Missing at Risk Alzheimer's Subject",
Contributing author to the books:
- "In Search of the Wanderer: A Workbook to Protect Your Loved One", Mark Warner et al, Purdue University
- "Urban Search: Managing Missing Person Searches in the Urban Environment", Chris Young, John Wehbring, et al, dBS Productions.
Executive co-producer of an educational DVD series:
- "Plain Talk about Alzheimer's Disease: Alzheimer's Related Dementia and Wandering"
- "Search is an Emergency: Alzheimer's Disease and Wandering", produced by The Truro Group, and distributed by Vision Video. This two part series was recognized as a semi-finalist in the International Health, seniors/geriatric division "Freddy" Awards.
Recently honored as the St. Richard Pampuri award selection by the Saint John of God's and the Hospitaller Foundation for her compassionate work on behalf of at risk seniors and persons with Alzheimer's Disease.
Ms. Kelly and her work have been recognized by:
- President George Bush for her volunteer work, education, and training
- California Office of Emergency Services (OES) for SAR education and training
- Placer County Sheriff's Department
- New Mexico State Search and Rescue Council
- Thousand Oaks, California, Disaster Assistance Response Teams (TODART)
- Oregon's Marion County Sheriff's Department
- Alzheimer's Association chapters of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho
- San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, "Reserve Deputy of the Year" and Distinguished Service Medal
- San Diego Union Tribune ("Making a Search a Success")
- "Do Something Foundation"
- Blockbuster’s "Brick Award Finalist"
- Channel 10 "Leadership Award"
- North County Times "Woman of Merit"
- Palomar Pomerado Health Systems "Unity Award Finalist"
- And many other recognitions.

Kimberly R. Kelly