Wandering Tips to cope

People with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia are prone to wandering. Some tips to reduce and protect from wandering:

Encourage movement and exercise to reduce anxiety, agitation and restlessness.

Ensure all basic needs are met (toileting, nutrition, thirst).

Involve the person in daily activities, such as folding laundry or preparing dinner.

Place color-matching cloth over doorknobs to camouflage.

Redirect pacing or restless behavior.

Place a mirror near doorways. The reflection of a person’s own face will often stop him or her from exiting the door.

Reassure the person if he or she feels lost, abandoned or disoriented.

Enroll the person in MedicAlert and Safe Return.

Inform your neighbors and local emergency responders of the person’s condition and keep a list of their names and telephone numbers.

Keep home safe and secure by installing dead-bolt or slide-bolt locks on exterior doors and limiting access to potentially dangerous areas.

Never lock the person with dementia in a home without supervision.

Be aware that the person may not only wander by foot but also by car or by other modes of transportation.

Source: Alzheimer’s Association