By Jennifer Bradley, Staff Writer
For a caregiver, one of the most anxiety-causing side
effects of dementia is wandering. With this diagnosis,
caregivers come to expect severe memory loss and
confusion as to time and place, but usually they are not
prepared for the constant “watch” they must have on
their loved one.
Nearly 60 percent of all people with dementia wander,
especially in the middle stages. There are many facets
to this unpredictable behavior, and the causes are as
numerous as the tactics people have used to curtail
them. In the end, knowing an individual’s personality,
prior lifestyle and triggers which may send them “on the
move” will make all the difference.
Knowledge is Key
If a previous homemaker was accustomed to retrieving her
children from the bus every day at 3:30 p.m., and as a
senior with dementia, she wanders at that time
habitually, it’s time to connect the dots. Her wandering
pattern is the reason people wake up at the same time
each morning without an alarm clock. Those set schedules
become a part of the person. The triggers which initiate
wandering are different for individuals. No two
individuals have identical life experiences and past
daily routines; not even driving or walking habits.
When a man lives in New York City his entire life, and
then is moved to small-town Wisconsin so his daughter
can care for him, it’s understandable he craves some
sense of his former life. Plagued with dementia,
however, he doesn’t understand that his neighbor from
Queens is no longer a short stroll down the sidewalk.
Thus, taking a walk becomes a dangerous wandering risk
when he can’t find his friend’s home.
A loved one’s former work schedule also can be a clue to
wandering patterns. What time did they start? What time
did they arrive back home? Some people believe they are
at work all day and try to leave when the sun sets,
searching for a way home. They may look for a bus stop,
train station, even parking garage. Anxiety might creep
in when they feel unable to leave and care for their
families. Many times a person with dementia says, “Why
are you making me stay here?” For a caregiver, knowing
these seemingly insignificant “life” facts can make a
day less stressful and more predictable.
The Source of Wandering
As the professionals at Mayo Clinic emphasize, many
wanderers are either searching for or escaping from
something.
Often, wandering occurs for no other reason than mere
confusion. When a person with dementia becomes lost and
disoriented after leaving a restroom at a public setting
and cannot place themselves, it is a sign they may need
additional supervision.
Printable Version
