Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Alzheimer's/Dementia Hospitalization Wristband Project

Alzheimer's/Dementia Hospitalization Wristband: The wristband project does several things:

Upon admission, patients with a prior diagnosis have a Purple Angel affixed to their standard issue hospital wristband for identification purposes.

Purple Angel is placed on their door so that anyone entering knows they should approach with the patient’s special needs in mind.

  • Use of “sitters” will become standard practice, allowing families to take much needed breaks without worrying that their loved one will be left alone.


  •      A dementia screening will be added to the admission process in hopes of identifying cognitive impairment even if there is no prior diagnosis.
The Purple Angel logo, originally developed in the UK and inspired by Norman McNamara, is quickly becoming an internationally accepted symbol for Dementia Awareness for all dementia related diseases. A big key to the success of this project, LeBlanc emphasizes, is that one standard symbol is used across all healthcare systems making it instantly recognizable.