Wandering is a common problem among people with dementia and refers to
the urge to walk about or leave the home. Although exact estimates are
hard to find, the Alzheimer’s Association reports that 60% of persons
with Alzheimer’s disease will wander away from the caregiver at some
time during their disease. Although a small proportion of individuals
with dementia frequently wander aimlessly and may get lost, wandering
is believed to be an unpredictable behavior. This problem is very
worrying for caregivers and presents a challenge for the person with
dementia’s safety and wellbeing. However, wandering may be a warning
sign of a person’s need for stimulation, social contact, exercise, and
maintenance of mobility.
Keep in mind that wandering may occur when….
The person walks about their environment and cannot find
his/her way back. This could be at the home, residential facility,
shopping mall, day care, etc.
The caregiver briefly leaves
the individual alone while doing something else in the house and the
person with dementia inexplicably gets up and leaves the home and then
cannot find their way back.
The person feels confused or disoriented in the environment (either new or familiar).
When
the environment is threatening or over stimulating, the person may be
agitated or simply wanting to search for a safer, calmer, or familiar
environment.
The person has excess energy or is bored.
The person habitually used to go on walks (old habits).
The person is in pain.
Tips for dealing with wandering behavior
Avoid crowded environments
Do not let persons with dementia walk in the community by themselves.
Use respite care rather than leaving the individual home alone.
Use
locks that the person with dementia has never learned to operate or
move locks higher or lower on the door frame out of the normal visual
field on outside doors.
Notify neighbors to bring the individual back home if they ever see him/her out alone.
Enroll the person in a local Safe Return programs.
Childproof doorknobs or latches mounted high on doors help prevent wandering outside.
Sometimes a stop sign or a sign saying "Do not enter" on an exit door is enough.
Signs on the bathroom and bedroom can also help the person with dementia find there way.
Rooms
that are off-limits pose a different problem. Camouflaging a door with
paint or wallpaper to match the surrounding wall may short-circuit a
compulsion to wander into such rooms.
Night lights and gates at stairwells can be used to protect night wanderers
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