Caregivers: Fourth of July can trigger vulnerable groups in Billings community

It's known that the events that come with the Fourth of July - fireworks and large gatherings - can be triggers for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but the same holds true for children with mental disabilities and people with dementia.

“The things that make the Fourth of July so fun, like parades and getting together with groups of people, barbecuing and fireworks, those are the things that also can be very disorienting,” said Erika Purington, executive director of Adult Resource Alliance of Yellowstone County, on Tuesday. “Large groups like parades, or family gatherings, can be really confusing for people with dementia."

Purington says avoiding the large groups may be best, but if you are having a family gathering she recommends doing it earlier in the day and having people wear name tags to help the person with dementia.

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“We also acknowledge that this can be a challenging time for caregivers because we do have to shift things entirely to, you know, help somebody be okay,” she said. “Still celebrate, you know, because there will be, there are parts of it that are going to be familiar, and festive, and fun to someone with dementia."

The unavoidable loud noises from fireworks on the Fourth and even days before and after can be drowned out with a white noise machine or music.

"Music is always really great for people with dementia just to help them focus on something that is familiar to them," Purington said.

Purington said that the caregiver knows the person with dementia knows the person best, so if headphones work better than music, use those to avoid any agitation.

The same goes for children with mental disabilities.

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Tiah Davenport is a special education teacher and the legal guardian of her 10-year-old brother, who was recently diagnosed with autism.

“Fourth of July comes, and he wants to be a part of everything, but the loud noises are way overwhelming. And just for a lot of kids in my class, loud noises, they'll cover their ears or we have to give them headphones,” Davenport said.

Davenport recommends using distraction as a tool to help your child if they are overstimulated from the loud noises.

She also urges parents, guardians or caregivers to closely watch the person or child they are looking after if they are near fireworks.

“They see these pretty lights. They see these things going off. These loud noises. It's so exciting. They want to run up to it, and they want to grab it,” she said. “Just be patient and just be compassionate with those families that are trying to give their children the experiences that everybody else gets and trying to teach them how to, trying to teach them coping skills.”