Alzheimer’s San Diego is now providing free gun locks to families impacted by dementia that have a firearm in the home. These locks can secure firearms and help prevent an accident or injury.
The brain changes caused by dementia can impact a person’s ability to safely handle a firearm in several ways, even if he or she has been a lifelong gun owner. These changes include:
- Poor judgment leading to bad decisions
- Memory loss and confusion
- Difficulty understanding situations & surroundings
- Mood and personality changes
- Impulsive behavior
- Trouble recognizing familiar people
No matter how much experience a person has with firearms, cognitive impairment affects the ability to judge safe and unsafe situations. Consider the following gun safety checklist if there is someone with dementia in your home:
- Do you know where all the guns are?
- Does the person living with dementia have access to them?
- Is it safe for the person with dementia to have access to the guns?
- Has there been conversation about gun safety since the dementia diagnosis?
- Do you know the options for securing or removing guns?
If you’d like to receive a free gun lock, call Alzheimer’s San Diego at 858.492.4400.
Thank you to Poway Weapons & Gear for generously donating the gun locks for this program!
