Dementia and Wandering

If you take care of someone with Alzheimer's or dementia, he or she may eventually begin to wander. Protecting your loved one may be a difficult task, but it isn't impossible.

Perhaps you're loved one is beginning to show early signs of memory loss, but you aren't sure if this is the normal aging process or something more serious.

Does he or she do any of the following?:

• Return from a walk or drive later than expected
• Become lost in new environments
• Have difficulty locating familiar places, like the bathroom or kitchen
• Check to see where you are
• Try to "go home" even though he or she is already there
• Pace
• Although retired, try going to work
• Appear to be working on an activity, but get nothing done

Causes of wandering
Wandering is caused by:

• medication
• fear
• inability to recognize familiar people and things
• anxiety
• stress
• restlessness
• confusion about time
• wanting to fulfill former obligations

Ways to reduce wandering
Provide your loved one with daily activities and exercise. Exercise helps reduce anxiety. Other activities - like dusting or folding laundry - make your loved one feel productive.

Even if your relative can't remember old friends, socializing can still be enjoyable. Going to adult day care or having frequent visitors can help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. Many people with Alzheimer's also enjoy the company of pets. At home, your presence helps your relative feel more secure. He or she may feel lost or disoriented at times and will need your reassurance.

To help your loved one feel safe, stick to a daily routine and keep objects where they belong. State frequently what time of day it is. If wandering happens at a certain time of day, provide activities during that time. If your loved one paces, suggest working on a project. Try to reduce noise and household confusion.

Protecting someone who wanders
Try these tips to keep your loved one safe:

• Hide car keys or keep them out of reach. Park the car away from the house where it can't be easily seen.
• Alert neighbors and emergency personnel about the possibility of wandering.
• Install deadbolts on the doors to your home. Lock doors to dangerous areas within the house.
• Use child safety devices around your home.
• Paint black, two-foot thresholds inside doors that lead outside. Many people with dementia mistake these for deep holes.
• Provide comfortable chairs - like beanbags or recliners - that limit mobility.
• Put "stop" or "do not enter" signs on doors.
• Install a home alarm system to warn you of nighttime wandering.
• Consider a GPS device that tracks your loved one's whereabouts.

Where to look when a loved one wanders
First, call the police. Next, check the following locations:

• Bodies of water, stairwells, wooded areas, tunnels, balconies, bus stops and busy roads.
• Within a one-mile radius of where the person was last seen.
• Within 100 feet of the road. Look in bushes and ditches.
• In the direction of the person's dominant hand (the direction in which most people wander).
• Familiar and favorite places of your loved one.

"Safe Return"
Consider registering your loved one in the Alzheimer's Association Safe Return®. If a loved one wanders, the Safe Return network faxes his or her photo and information to your local police.

To enroll your loved one in Safe Return, call 1-888-572-8566 or check with your local Alzheimer's Association chapter.

Related Articles The Warning Signs of Alzheimer's If You Have Alzheimer's Understanding Alzheimer's When Men Become Caregivers

External Sources Alzheimer's Association. Wandering. Accessed April 25, 2007. Family Caregiver Alliance. Fact sheet: dementia, caregiving and controlling frustration. Accessed April 25, 2007.

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