Wandering caused by Alzheimer's and other dementias
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Wandering caused by Alzheimer's and other dementias
Wandering can pose a major problem for the caregiver and can be dangerous for a person with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia.
Get a medical ID bracelet for the person so that you can be contacted if he or she wanders away.
- Try to figure out why the person wanders. He or she may be trying to find something specific or looking for a familiar object. A person who wanders at a certain time of day may always have taken a walk or gone to work at that time.
- Lock outside doors, and use alarms and other devices to alert you when the person wanders outdoors or into unsafe areas.
- Provide a safe place for wandering, such as an enclosed yard or garden.
Credits
| Author | Sabra L. Katz-Wise |
| Author | Ralph Poore |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Peter J. Whitehouse, MD - Neurology |
| Last Updated | November 15, 2006 |
| Last updated: | November 15, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Ralph Poore |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Peter J. Whitehouse, MD - Neurology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman |
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