Re: Riding safety with Alzheimer's?

On 3/10/25 12:50 PM, Catrike Ryder wrote:

On Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:12:00 -0700, Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com>
wrote:
 

On 3/9/25 7:45 AM, Catrike Ryder wrote:

On Sun, 9 Mar 2025 09:33:15 -0500, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
>

On 3/9/2025 4:35 AM, Catrike Ryder wrote:

On Sat, 8 Mar 2025 17:36:44 -0800, Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com>
wrote:
>

On 3/8/25 3:35 PM, Catrike Ryder wrote:

Hyundai Elantra. On Sat, 8 Mar 2025 14:43:12 -0800, Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> wrote:

>

In my volunteer work I sometimes deal with folks who have dementia, in
this case Alzheimer's. Today we did a very long walk together. He is
athletic and used to be a powerful high-mileage road bike rider so no
problems in the power and endurance domain. The disease has progressed
to the point where he would become disoriented on the roads or maybe
ride into freeway onramps and such. So he needs a companion. No problem,
that would be me. When I suggested that his (otherwise now quite
passive) eyes began to gleam.
>
Like in this paper he has lost the ability to shift and since we live in
the hills this means trucking our bikes into the flatlands where you can
remains in the same gear the whole ride:
>
https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/news/cycling-dementia/
>
We would stick to bike paths, preferably ones with a low amount of
traffic and definitely not many pedestrians. About 20mi from here we
have an almost perfect one that is about 15mi long and has no posted
speed limit:
>
https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/images/fsc-new.jpg
>
I will also switch out his pedals from clip-in to flat MTB pedals, don't
want to risk him not getting a foot out and fall (he is >70). I always
carry a first aid kit.
>
My question is, what else should I prepare for? Searches on the web
didn't reveal much, other than that cycling is beneficial in slowing the
progress of such diseases.
>
We'll see how the first rides go. If very well then there will be other
questions, such as whether there is a road bike bike with automatic
transmission. Maybe based on Di2. They offer it but AFAIK only for
electric MTB and maybe it can be adapted to non-electric road bikes:
>
https://velo.outsideonline.com/ebike/shimano-introduces-automatic-di2-shifting/
>
Of course, if the guy turns out to be a lot faster than I am and leaves
me in the dust that could present a very different problem :-)

>
I dealt with Alzheimer's people when I volunteered at assisted living
homes. Some do well under supervision, but others don't, have a mind
of their own and can be unpredictable. You know the guy so you choose.
Might be a good case for a tandem.
>

>
Thanks, Solomon. Unfortunately I or anyone around me don't have a
tandem. He is mild-mannered and listens well.
>
I know it can be different. I volunteered in the memory care section of
care homes, mainly because hardly anyone else wanted to go in there.
Some folks can turn rather violent but it's not them, it's the disease
doing that.

>
+1
Yes, it's the disease. My wife, who worked in assisted living homes as
an activities director always said something like that. She's retired
now and I'm eighty so neither of us are involved and almost all of the
attachments we made have passed on but we still maintain contact with
a couple residents. THis is one who didn't make it.
>
https://www.flickr.com/photos/j_soloman/with/53910283643
>
--
C'est bon
Soloman

>
"didn't make it" ??
You look mostly alive in your photos.

>
Wrong reference..  Here's the right one.
>
>
https://www.flickr.com/photos/j_soloman/53971342104
>

>
Getting Parkinson's that early is really hard :-(

 He'd been super active, had his own lawn maintenance business, raced
motorbikes. At the home he used a motorized wheelchair with a joystick
couldn't get out of it by himself, and needed a walker when out of it.
I helped him onto the Catrike and he was a changed guy. He'd had
trouble speaking, but soon he was taking my extra microphone and
singing. I took up a collection for his own Catrike and convinced the
local dealer sell it at cost. We'd go down the street to a park and
scare all the locals off the path. He was able to get off it by
himself and walk to the restroom and the food truck... no walker.
 

Great! I don't think it would be that extreme in this case but if it can make his (probably few) remaining years more fun for him it's all worth it.

State of mind has a lot to do with Parkinson's....

That, and getting the dosage of Levodopa just right.

                                            ... Then his asshole
POA intervened. Makes me angry to think on it.
 

Luckily in this case his wife is all in when it comes to activities. The more the better. Of course like everything that comes with risks but life always does.
I am also a POA but not here, it's for a Parkinson's case. Enabling the person affected to live life as best as they can is key. Just like what you did with Jimmy.
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/