Wandering is dangerous for older adults who have been diagnosed with dementia. Not only could they fall, injure themselves, or be exposed to harsh weather conditions, but they could become lost. Caregivers can prevent their elderly care recipients from leaving the home with these tips.
What stage of dementia does wandering occur?
Dementia progresses in stages. In the early stages, the senior is able to handle everyday tasks, like working and socializing, without help. During the middle and advanced stages, the patient will require an increasing level of assistance to complete the activities of daily living.
It is also in the moderate to advanced stages that wandering most commonly occurs. This may seem logical, as their brain damage has significantly progressed. However, since dementia affects everyone differently, depending on the underlying causes, wandering is possible at any stage.
What triggers wandering in dementia?
Memory changes can cause confusion and disorientation in dementia patients. Due to overwhelming stimuli, like loud noises, their surroundings become uncomfortable. In an effort to reduce their discomfort, they try to escape the situation. Most often, this is the motivation behind their wandering.
As the dementia patient leaves the uncomfortable situation, they may forget their reason for doing so. Although the senior exits with an intended destination in mind, they are likely to forget directions, encounter an obstacle, or realize the place they’re trying to reach is inaccessible.
Wandering is a danger to seniors. Half of all older dementia patients who wander fall. They may suffer a fracture or experience some other type of physical injury. If they wander in inclement weather, like a snowstorm, their fingers, toes, or nose are at risk for frostbite.
How do caregivers prevent dementia patients from leaving home?
Due to the inherent dangers associated with a dementia patient aimlessly wandering, it is critical that caregivers take steps to protect them. Preventing care recipients from wandering may include a combination of proven strategies as well as wandering prevention products.
1. Install Door and Window Locks
Specialized locks that are difficult to unlock can be effective in preventing dementia patients from leaving the home. Cognitive impairment makes it difficult for them to open entrances, exits, and windows installed with these devices, thereby preventing them from exiting.
Sliding bolts can additionally be installed above or at eye level as a back-up method if the senior in the early stages of dementia has the cognitive functioning to open locks. However, never lock a senior in the home because it can trap them in the event of an emergency.
2. Camouflage Doors and Windows
As a result of the damage to brain cells in dementia patients, their eyesight can become impaired. A door or window painted in colors similar to the walls is hard to distinguish and serves as an effective deterrent for seniors trying escape the home.
An alternate tactic for camouflaging entrances and exits is to place a dark mat in front of them. This optical trick is effective since the mat appears as a looming hole in the floor—and the senior is likely to avoid it and the door.
3. Set Up Wandering Alarms
Wandering alarms can be used as alert systems when seniors wander. Along with motion sensors are pressure-sensitive mats. These mats can be placed on the floor or bed. When triggered, the alarm notifies the caregiver that the senior has left or arrived at a location in the home.
Wireless alarms feature remote receivers, which are convenient for caregivers as they sleep in another room. Portable receivers are also available and allow caregivers to carry the device with them around the home or for a certain distance outside. Alarms can be set to chime when doors are opened.
4. Establish a Safe Space
Wandering can sometimes be inevitable, and caregivers benefit everyone by being flexible. When confusion and disorientation develop, the urge to wander may arise. Instead of thwarting their impulse, caregivers should provide a safe, supervised area for the senior to wander.
A fenced-in backyard or a room in the home are suitable areas for wandering safely. Caregivers might also take the dementia patient on walks in the neighborhood; this helps the senior work off pent-up energy accumulated throughout the day. Plus, walking helps them retain their physical mobility.
A senior diagnosed with dementia should never be left alone at home. Caregivers, whether family or professional, must remain with the older adult as a precautionary safety measure. Wandering can happen at any time, but can especially occur in the evenings, when symptoms of sundowning emerge.
If you need help monitoring a senior living with dementia, memory care from Assisting Hands Home Care will be an invaluable source of support. Our reputable home care agency is staffed with teams of dementia caregivers who are skilled in identifying dementia symptoms and managing them.
Professional memory caregivers are trained to calm agitated dementia patients with distractions, like a snack or a walk. The incontinence issues that accompany dementia are discreetly and respectfully handled by our caregivers. We also lead wandering seniors back to the safety of the home environment.
Memory care includes additional non-medical care services. Caregivers shop for fresh groceries, prepare nutritious meals, perform light housekeeping, provide transportation to doctors’ offices or other locations in the community, and serve as pleasant companions to deter social isolation and loneliness.
Assisting Hands Home Care offers flexible care options. Families may schedule short-term respite care or overnight care so that a professional is alert during the night. Alzheimer’s care ensures that the dementia patient is supervised at all times, continually protecting their safety and well-being.
Families invested in their aging loved one’s health and comfort seek the memory care services provided by Assisting Hands Home Care. We serve the elderly living in Sarasota, Florida, and the surrounding communities. Call us to schedule a free in-home consult at (813) 868-6782. and learn about our quality dementia care.
