Post by Dawn on Nov 20, 2008 22:47:03 GMT -5
Wandering is a common problem among people with dementia and refers to the urge to walk about or leave the home.............
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
alzonline.phhp.ufl.edu/en/reading/wandering.php
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
alzonline.phhp.ufl.edu/en/reading/wandering.php
