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COPING WITH WANDERING
This behavior includes attempting to leave, roaming,
visiting and rummaging. To assure safety,
individuals should be assessed to determine possible
causes of these episodes, and treated with
behavioral, medical or pharmacological
interventions.
Tips:
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Do not leave a person with dementia home alone.
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Monitor and record the individual's wandering
patterns—frequency, duration, time of day, etc.
For example, if wandering occurs first thing in
the morning, they might be hungry; in the late
afternoon or early evening, they might be
experiencing "sundowning";
and during the night, they might need to use the
bathroom.
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Consult with a physician to see if medications
can help. Individuals who wander as a result of
delusions or hallucinations may require
psychotropic medications.
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Provide recreational activities—music therapy,
physical exercise or movies, for example—to
reduce boredom, under-stimulation or lack of
socialization that prompts wandering.
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Ensure that the individual is well fed, well
hydrated and using the bathroom since
individuals may wander to fulfill these basic
needs. Consider setting a schedule.
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Reduce environmental stimuli like loud music,
screaming or overcrowding that might spark this
behavior.
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Outfit the individual with an identification
bracelet, and put some form of identification in
every jacket, pocketbook or other article.
MedicAlert®
markets a bracelet with a teal emblem
specifically designed to symbolize Alzheimer's
disease and related dementias.
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Obtain a wristband transmitter, such as those
used by
Project Lifesaver,
to more easily track wanderers.
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Have a current photo readily available and find
out about leaving one on file at the police
department.
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Secure doors in a way that are difficult to
open.
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Add electronic chimes or doorbells so a
caregiver is alerted if the individual attempts
to exit.
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Identify bathrooms and other rooms with colorful
signs to re-orient individuals.
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Post a large sign that says "stop" or "do not
enter" on exits.
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Mask exit doors with a curtain.
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Place a black mat or paint a black space by an
exit, which may appear to be an impassable hole
to those with dementia. Likewise, a large line,
strip of tape or VelcroTM may act as
a barrier.
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Provide familiar objects, such as family
photographs, slippers and a quilt, to an
individual living in a long-term care facility
to make it feel like home.
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Put away essential items, such as the person's
coat, shoes, pocketbook or glasses, since some
individuals will not go out without certain
articles.
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Tell neighbors about the person's wandering
behavior and make sure they have your phone
number.
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Look for changes in patterns. For example, those
who begin to wander after a prolonged period in
a facility may suffer from a new medical,
psychiatric or cognitive complication. For
instance,
delirium
may produce the abrupt onset of wandering.
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