Are you the caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's disease or dementia? Do they have the tendency to want to wander away?
Wandering is a common behavior in patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. And once the individual begins to show signs of wandering behaviors, they are at a high-risk of wandering away or becoming lost.
This behavior can be very distressing for caregivers, and dangerous for the individual.
While the exact causes of wandering behavior are not fully understood, it may occur in some individuals who are searching for something, or trying to get back to a place they remember like a job or favorite destination. And sometimes people just wander or walk away because they are restless or agitated.
Common reasons people wander are:
They may say things like:
There are steps that caregivers can take to help prevent wandering, or make it difficult for the person to wander away and include such things as:
Time is of the essence. It is extremely important to not delay action. Several immediate steps you can take are:
The Wandering Information Sheet was designed to help family members of dementia patients, and local law enforcement, should a loved one or family member wander away from home and become lost.
Download this information sheet, fill it in, and keep copies of it handy for law enforcement in the event your loved one wanders away and becomes lost. Additionally, this information sheet is fillable so that caregivers, families, and others can directly fill it out on their computers. It can also be printed off first and filled out if preferred.
All searches begin with an investigative component. During this time you will be asked dozens of questions to aid law enforcement and search teams determine where and how to look. This information is critical to the success of the search. Completion of this form, before an incident, allows the searching to start sooner and aids in collecting more accurate information.
Alzheimer’s Association - Visit alz.org/pa or call 1-800-272-3900.
For more information about preventing unsafe wandering in patients with dementia, creating a safe environment, and location or tracking devices that are available for families, contact the UPMC Senior Services Help and Referral Line at 866-430-8742.