Path: news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Riding safety with Alzheimer's?
Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2025 09:33:15 -0500
Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd.
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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.

-- 
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971