Fake Bus Stop Helps Detain Alzheimer's Patients

Blair Walker in the AARP Bulletin Anyone who has cared for a family member or loved one with Alzheimer’s knows that patients can occasionally wander off and become lost. In Dusseldorf, Germany, the Benrath Senior Center has addressed the problem by erecting a fake bus stop right outside the facility to detain residents who stray. Richard Neureither, Benrath’s director, says center residents intent on returning to often nonexistent homes and families frequently make a beeline for the green-and-yellow bus stop sign and are easily corralled. “Five minutes later, they have completely forgotten they wanted to leave,” Neureither says.