Wandering

blacksparky

Why do they wander. I just can’t figure this out. My DW wandered for the first time about 5 months ago. With the help from local PD, we got her back home safely. Fast forward to this month. No wandering until last week when she left house (while I was showering) and walked about 2 miles until PD found her. Had to be talked into by officer to get in my car to come home. Yesterday and today wandered to neighbors house about a block away and neighbor returned her. I have door alarms installed months ago and just a few days ago I had doubled keyed locks installed on both entry doors to house. I forgot to lock doors yesterday and today. Now I have the house locked down. I feel like a prison guard now telling my DW that she can’t leave the house. Is it time to start researching MC facilities? Not really sure what to do.

SDianeL

Dementia patients wander for a variety of reasons, including stress, the need to fulfill basic needs, a desire to engage in past routines, or visual-spatial problems. They may also wander simply out of confusion or a lack of cognitive function.  It can be caused by anxiety. If you are unable to keep her safe it’s time to look into MC. You could talk to her doctor about medication to calm her anxiety. She’s now like a toddler. Sadly, you can no longer leave her alone for any period of time, not even to shower. It’s not safe.

Carl46

Wandering is one of the key indicators that it is time to place a LO in MC.

My criterion for placement was to place when a MC could do the job better than I could. In your case, a MC can protect her, because they have a night shift and locked doors. If you can't keep her from wandering, it's time.

Arrowhead

In my wife's case, she believed her parents were still alive and that she still lived with them. Also, she did not believe that we were married. She kept trying to walk "home."

harshedbuzz

This is one of those situations where it's totally your call. If you find the strategies needed to keep her from wandering more than you can manage (even if it's the emotional aspect of acting as a warden or dealing with her upset), than it's time.

I have a friend who kept her wandering mom at home until the end. She built a home specifically for caregiving and had the place on lockdown with all manner of electronics (she and her DH are engineers), but one of the best, and low tech, deterrents was a black doormat in front of any door to the outside, the steps, or room in which they didn't want her going. The visual processing deficits in dementia, caused her to read this as a hole and mom would avoid them.

A purpose built MCF is designed to allow her to wander without the potential for harm. At dad's the door to the lobby was disguised in a mural on the wall and less of a trigger for going out.

HB

dayn2nite2

If you have put protections into place (alarms and locks) and you are forgetting to use them and this causes her to wander that far away, then it's time.

Safety is first.