tanja

Anyone have opinoin, experience or any thing about Alzheimers?

How do they screen them?

What if they dont remember their name?


Anyone? Thanks.

RichardKenner

A few years ago, a co-worker of mine was traveling with his wife who had a fairly advanced case of alzheimer's and her aid. He's a very assertive person. For some reason, the aide got marked SSSS and they wanted to screen her separately. He refused, saying that his wife and her aide cannot be separated even for a minute. After some discussions, they also flagged his wife as SSSS. This was in HHMD days and so they go to her and say "raise your arm". She does nothing. So they yell it. Still nothing. My co-worker says "she has alzheimer's: she's not going to be able to respond to your commands". Their response was "so how can we screen her?". My co-worker said: "that's not my problem: it's yours. You need to figure it out. And you need to figure it out before our flight leaves". They did, but I suspect that somebody less assertive wouldn't have had the same result.

cardiomd

I dislike these kind of stories... I'd not call that assertive, it is more being an a$$, screening a handicapped individual is indeed his problem too if he wants to travel with her. I do not approve of this kind of attitude. You can work together to help the screener do whatever nonsense they need to do in a minimally offensive fashion to your family member.

If I was trying to do a medical examination on somebody and their family member said "that's not my problem, you need to figure it out" I would be most taken aback by that attitude, and possibly ask them to leave, depending on circumstances.

Now, I know that they are totally different situations, but the cowoker's first priority should be his wife, and easing her experience through this security nonsense, not making some sort of chest-thumping showdown with perceived authority, where his wife will likely be the one who suffers, and no policy change will result.

mre5765

No it is the TSA's problem. What if one was in a cast that prevented him from raising his arm? What if was paralyzed?

The TSA receives billions of dollars of tax payer money. It can spend some of that figuring out how to screen handicapped people.

RadioGirl

The crucial difference is that the medical profession, for the most part*, has gone to great lengths to think through their procedures and requirements as they might apply to people with disabilities. When I had a dislocated hip, no one expected me to climb out of bed and walk down to radiology and get myself on the table. If you had a deaf patient, I'm sure you wouldn't give them verbal instructions about a prescription. If you had a blind patient, I'm sure that you wouldn't ask them to read a release form.

Yet TSA requires that people walk through a WTMD without considering people who rely on canes, walkers or wheelchairs. They require people to stand in the NoS with their arms up (or for a patdown with their arms out) without thinking about people who can't stand at all, who can't raise their arms, or who have poor balance. They expect everyone to be able to remove their shoes while standing. Confronted with an ostomy bag or an adult diaper or a defibrillator (which turned into a back brace and then into a money belt) or someone with autism or Alzheimer's, far too many of TSA's finest stand there frozen, not knowing what to do next. And that is clearly because TSA HQ has not considered (or has not adequately communicated) a procedure for dealing with these things which are, in fact, not all that unusual.

Heck, even at Subway last week I saw a sandwich-maker adjust to a deaf-mute customer who was pointing to what he wanted instead of answering verbal questions. It's not rocket science.

*We won't mention the nurse who was so insistent on changing my dressing that she dislocated my hip. She obviously had a deadline to meet, and it probably would've dislocated anyway. I was drugged to the gills by the time my surgeon got to her, but RadioBloke said the chewing-out was pretty impressive.

SATTSO

TSA does not require people to walk through a WTMD. Nor require those who can not to stand in the positions you describe for AIT screening or pat down screening. We have some FT members who know this for a fact, people who hate TSA. But they wouldn't agree with your statement.

We do not expect everyone to remove their shoes. And again, there are some people on this site who are no friends of TSA but always leave their shoes on while screened.

As far as medical devices, we actually screen thousands of people with such devices as you describe every day. It is actually rare the screener who doesn't know what to do - but that does happen.

But it seems the only real mistake what what you claim in your post, as I have pointed out.

RadioGirl

I know someone who was required (not requested, not volunteered, but forced) to get out of his wheelchair and stagger, then fall through the WTMD at LAX while TSA screeners ignored his protests that he couldn't walk well enough to do that, and while his wife tried to catch him before he fell. (She was held back by two of your colleagues.) There have been similar incidents reported by the media, including the child who was required (not requested, not volunteered, but forced) to remove leg braces and crawl through the WTMD. Does it happen to every wheelchair or walker passenger? Of course not. But that it happens AT ALL, and more than once, indicates that some of your colleagues cannot cope with people who cannot walk through the WTMD.
The fact that TSA is replacing the WTMD with body scanners says otherwise. There's been more than one person reporting that TSA screeners got upset when passengers couldn't hold their arms out long enough for a patdown. There is an assumption that all passengers will be able to stand and raise their hands, either in the body scanner or for a patdown. Does it happen to everypassenger who has trouble raising their arms? Of course not. But that it happens AT ALL, and more than once, indicates that some of your colleagues cannot cope with people who cannot raise their arms.
Do screeners regularly make a point of letting people know that they can keep their shoes on, or is it up to the passenger to insist on it? Are there signs or other information at the checkpoint to let people know? The point is, the "all shoes off" policy starts from an assumption that everyone can do that; any exemptions require the passenger to be assertive, which many infrequent, elderly passengers are unlikely to be.
Thomas Sawyer.
Sharon Cissna.
Jean Weber's mother.
Thomas Sawyer (again).
Cathy Bossi.
Ryan Thomas.
Drew Mandy.
Stephen Walker
Lenore Zimmerman.
Ruth Sherman.
Linda Kallish.
Those are just the ones with media coverage that I found in a few minutes of searching (thanks, Lisa S). Most of them are from the last year or 18 months. I haven't started on the thousands of complaints here on FT, on other blogs or in comments on the news articles. Even if only half of those are true, there's a real issue here.
Oh, yeah, and 75% of amputees surveyed:
Yeah, it happens. Rare? Not nearly rare enough, not with the numbers quoted by the ACA. And every single damn time, your management says "blah blah highly trained blah blah respect and dignity blah blah we'll try harder blah blah working with disability groups" yet it keeps happening.

SATTSO

Sorry, TSA still does not require any of those things you state it does. But let me ask you, how often do you travel through a TSA checkpoint?

Jennlee

So in all those examples, the people are/were lying?

I don't think so. Luckily I'm not disabled and never had to see just what the TSA does or doesn't do for any particular disabilities, but I've read tons of news stories about TSA stupidity with disabilities. Enough to believe that regardless of "policy" the TSA does what is easy and expedient for them, and what they think they can get away with, which includes forcing people out of wheelchairs and off crutches, removing prostheses, fondling urine and fecal devices, etc.

InkUnderNails

I believe you. You have always been reasonable with your answers and information. While the TSA may not require it, some of the 60,000 or so people that must carry out TSA policy may not know it. It only takes a few outliers to completely mess up statistical sampling. I am hearing impaired and I know that most of the TSO's can deal with it fine. There are a few that are completely incompetent to deal with it. My experience with NEXUS alone confirms that what TSA says is the proper procedure and policy is unknown by many of those that must carry it out.

I have not met you, but I am certain that you would not do the things mentioned in the examples above as you seem to exhibit the professional side of the TSA that we want to see. Please accept the fact that not all of your colleagues are as you are.

Global_Hi_Flyer

As an agency, the TSA may not require it, but there are a statistically significant number of screeners that don't know that. Significant enough that one can conclude that the agency aids and abets this behavior. (Heck, the agency says that it accepts Trusted Traveler cards and passports as ID, yet a significant number of TDC screeners either don't recognize them or fail to accept them).

I've personally witnessed the screeners at certain airports (including DCA) try to force handicapped folks through an AIT and berate them for not "assuming the position". (last time I saw it happen at the DL/CO pier at DCA I was the beneficiary as I avoided the opt-out and was able to use the WTMD instead). That it happens at DCA of all places speaks volumes.

This may well be a training failure, it may be inconsiderate screeners, lazy screeners, or it may be malicious. We'd never know because the policies and their derivation are SSI (or classified). The words "Trust me, I'm from the government" doesn't exactly inspire confidence in this day and age.

I think it happens more often than you think.

tanja

I agree with you to a 100 %. Most of them should also learn how to screen, how to communicate, learn manners,accept that english is not spoken by everyone.

To understand they work to make passengers safe.

NOT to insult and assult them.

cardiomd

What if, indeed? That's exactly my point, instead of saying "figure it out" the family member should explicitly say what he can and can't do, and help out any way that is needed.

Saying "that's not my problem, figure it out" to some low wage screener (have you ever TALKED to these guys??? they are universally not the sharpest tacks) or expecting him / her to magically know what grandma is capable of, is ridiculous. I'm a doctor, and sometimes people surprise me with what they can or can't do -- the screener is not going to know how to coach a person with Alzheimers disease -- the aide / family member might have much more experience with that. The screener has no idea what is wrong with her.

I wasn't there, so I can't say exactly what went on. But as a general rule, it would be better to offer to help grandma raise her arm, or tell the screener he/she is hard of hearing or incapable of the motion, or otherwise helping out, rather than saying "it's your problem, you figure it out."

tanja

To work in a field like TSO's do they should learn the basic about different disabilitys.
They should know a bit biology.
That is just common sence.

It is a bit like you get a medical treatment from the mailman.

Helping out is one thing. But to take over somebodys job is totally different.

TSA should be able to screen without asking for help. Otherwise get a new job.

I would never help a screener to lift my mothers arms or tell her to spread it.

I am not going to help out my aging alzheimers mother to get molested and insulted.
She has always protected me . Now it is my turn to return it.

There has been several stories about people travelling with people with disabilitys and elderly. When their companion has tried to help they have been told to shut up , back off, dont interfere with the scrfeening process.

There is something called dignity. TSA has not know what that word means.

tkey75

They get all their biology training right off the application for the job.

The dough is connected to the sauce which is connected to the cheese. Sometimes there's anomalies like sausage or mushrooms. They're trickier to clear.