Florida Hospital Adds Scent Kits To Maturing Minds Program

The Florida Hospital Maturing Minds Program added the Scent Preservation Kit® to the list of resources they provide for those with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia. The Maturing Minds Program purchased the kits to give family members and caregivers a new way to protect those with the disease who are at high risk of wandering. Scent Evidence K9 CEO and Founder, Paul Coley, was on hand for the delivery of the kits to Gayle Shepherd, RN, the Nurse Coordinator for the Florida Hospital Maturing Minds Memory Disorder Center. Coley stated, “Having Scent Preservation Kits® available for those who are at greater risk of going missing is a big step forward in keeping our elderly population safe.”

Memory Disorders and Wandering Statistics

Studies show that 6 out of 10 of those with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of Dementia will wander and go missing. Florida’s Dementia population ranks second in the nation with 520,000 residents at risk. That number is expected to increase sharply to over 720,000 in the next few years. California currently has the highest population with the disease.

How Preparing a Scent Preservation Kit® Can Help Protect Your Loved Ones

In Florida, we prepare for all sorts of emergency situations like fires and hurricanes, but what happens when a loved one wanders away and gets lost? Now, you can protect those you love and care for by collecting and preserving their scent with the Scent Preservation Kit®. Developed by a former FBI Forensic Canine Operations Specialist, the Scent Kit provides a way to prepare those at risk for going missing before an event occurs.

The process is simple. A person collects their unique odor by swiping the included sterile gauze pad under the arm or around the neck several times. The specialized pad is also capable of collecting DNA. The pad is then sealed in a specialized jar that keeps the scent secure for up to 10 years. The Scent Kit is then labeled with I.D. information and stored out of direct heat and sunlight.

If a loved one goes missing, family members and caregivers can provide responding K9 Search Teams with a pure uncontaminated scent article that allows the search to begin immediately when every minute counts. As a new feature, each Scent Preservation Kit® now includes a Missing Person Checklist. The checklist takes the guesswork out of what family members and caregivers should do when a person goes missing and can be filled out with detailed information like; age, eye/hair color, past wandering events, and favorite locations. This information can be vital to responders when searching for someone who is lost.

If you care for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia, you can get your Scent Kit HERE or on Amazon.

Florida Hospital Maturing Minds Memory Disorder Clinic

If you or your physician determines that a patient may benefit from the Maturing Minds Program, they will strive to ensure that he or she receives timely access to an assessment, a holistic plan of care, disease education and resources, and improved communication among their health care providers. All of these objectives will assist in helping the patient maintain a healthier life.

The staff at the Maturing Minds Program is comprised of a neuropsychologist, behavioral specialist, neurologist, geriatrician, social worker, and nurse practitioner, who are dedicated to providing compassionate, quality care to those in need and work together to ensure the highest level of care is delivered.

Learn more about the Florida Hospital Maturing Minds Program by visiting https://www.floridahospital.com/orlando/neuroscience/maturing-minds-program