Page 6 - Martin Downs Bulletin - August '24

Page 6, Martin Downs

seNior News

Council On Aging Martin The bracelet uses the latest technology to help protect and

Offering Circle Of Safety locate individuals before they are hurt or lost or worse. The
bracelet gives off a signal that is read by a special tracking
For Loved Ones With system monitored by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s deputies are trained, certified and equipped with
Memory Issues SafetyNet Search and Rescue receivers to act quickly in
an emergency. The signal works even in densely wooded
It only takes a moment – a loved one with memory areas, buildings, shallow water and areas where even GPS
issues wanders away, and the panicked search begins. and cellular technology aren’t effective.
Sometimes the person is found quickly and returned safely “With the sheriff’s office, the Council on Aging, and
– but not always. families working together,” Ripper said, “we can build a
The Council on Aging Martin County is offering a better circle of safety and protection around our most vulnerable
way to help individuals with cognitive conditions like loved ones.”
dementia and Alzheimer’s and the families that love them. bothersome like a wrist bracelet. It stays on all the time. Martin County residents can get enrollment information
The Circle of Safety Program provides SafetyNet It’s waterproof. And it’s free. for the Circle of Safety Program by calling the Council on
bracelets to those in need. The bracelet is lightweight and “We see the heartbreak in families when a loved one Aging Martin at (772) 223-7800 or visiting its offices at
worn around the ankle, where it stays in place and isn’t wanders. When we were offered a grant from the WellMed the Kane Center, 900 S.E. Salerno Road in Stuart. More
Charitable Foundation for a program that really works and information is available at its website www.coamartin.org.
is cost-free for our families, Council on Aging jumped at
Kids it,” said Council on Aging Martin CEO Karen Ripper.

Cats And Wine from page 1
CorNer Manager Ashton Standish at (772) 600-3216 or Astandish@

hstc1.org.
For more information, contact Alyssa Bean, community
Autism Or Just An events specialist, at (772) 600-3215, or Events@hstc1.org.
Follow the HSTC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.
Awkward Kid? com/humanesocietyTC and Twitter at https://www.twitter.
com/hstc1. For more information, visit https://www.hstc1.
By Jim Forgan, Ph.D., org or call (772) 223-8822.
Licensed School Photos by Doreen Poreba
Psychologist
A concerned mom Kelly Huber was among the
came to me seeking raffle winners at last year’s Sarah Fisher stands ready to
insights on her son’s Kitty Catalina. serve guests.
behavior. She explained,
“Sometimes Joseph can
seem zoned out and not
always in tune with
what is going on around
him. He can be socially
awkward at times. He can also be so hyper-focused
on something like his hobby and interest. He can get
easily bored and likes to be pretty active all of the time
which is a good thing but sometimes it is hard for him
to relax.” This mom wanted to know if her son might
have autism, ADHD, or anxiety so she knew how to
best support him.
Upon meeting Joseph for the first time, he presented Volunteers Tonya Roberts, Lynn Fischer and Pam Brunelle Guests Valerie Philipp, Beth Ernst and Kenya Webb
as a well-groomed and athletic adolescent. He was
slightly rigid in his social mannerisms as if he had been
taught skills such as greeting someone by looking them
in the eye and shaking their hand. While this was an
appropriate behavior, his interaction came across as
scripted or practiced. While talking with him I learned
he had an advanced vocabulary and could converse
about many different topics. He understood humor
and idioms such as, “She let the cat out of the bag.”
My school neuropsychological testing with Joseph
revealed two main contributing factors. First, he had
low cognitive flexibility which is a fancy term for
flexible thinking. His mental rigidity contributed to
him being a blacker and whiter thinker. He saw things
his way which created his social awkwardness. The
second factor was slower processing speed which The adoption fee will be waived during the event for felines Alyssa Bean and Courtney Zanetti pull the winning raffle
helped explain why he seemed zoned out at times. In over one year old. tickets.
certain situations, Joseph quickly used up his mental
fuel which resulted in mental fatigue. When this
occurred he disengaged and seemed out of touch with
what was going on around him.
I helped create a plan and recommended activities he
could do to improve these areas. Mom planned to share Dyslexia, ADD/ADHD,
the report with his school. Call (561) 625-4125 if you are
concerned about your child and would like understanding
and answers. Our website is JimForgan.com. Gifted Testing

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