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Author: Ketan Shah

Wandering is more common in people with Alzheimer’s disease than many families realize. The idea that their family member might simply wander off alone can be terrifying, though. What helps the most is to establish a plan for preventing wandering and helping seniors with Alzheimer’s disease to remain as safe as possible. Alzheimer’s care providers can help family members come up with a plan that meets their seniors’ needs.

Give Seniors with Alzheimer’s Structure

Structured daily routines help seniors with Alzheimer’s disease to feel useful. These routines also help seniors with Alzheimer’s to meet their basic needs more easily throughout the day. When seniors feel calmer and happier, with all of their daily needs met, they’re far less likely to feel restless enough to wander. Home care providers can offer support as families work out the best routines for their seniors.

Use Visual Cues to Deter Exiting the House

Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease might need signs and notes to help them with all sorts of tasks. The same idea can help them to reduce their risk of wandering, too. Signs or notes that advise them to stop and not use exterior doors can help immensely. Hanging curtains over doors can also help to disguise them, discouraging seniors from trying to leave the house to wander.

Add Alarms and Sensors to Exterior Doors

Occasionally, what families really need is a way to secure those exterior doors. Adding childproof locks or moving the locks to a less-obvious location can help. Adjusting locks to a point that is lower or higher than usual is often enough. Alarms and motion sensors that attach to exterior doors can also help family members know immediately if anyone opens them.

Help Seniors Stay Comfortable

Finding ways to help seniors stay with Alzheimer’s disease to stay comfortable also does a lot to reduce the risk of wandering. Keeping the temperature comfortable, reducing unnecessary noise, and helping seniors remember to eat and drink regularly are all part of the process. Experienced Alzheimer’s care providers can help family members learn to recognize signs of discomfort and what they might mean.

Develop a Plan for Wandering

As much as families can do to help prevent issues with wandering, they also need to have a plan for what happens if seniors with Alzheimer’s disease manage to get around their safety methods. Keeping updated pictures of seniors with Alzheimer’s disease is a great start. It can also help to make sure that seniors have a GPS tracker or alert bracelet, to make finding them easier. Knowing who to call and what to do is vital for both family caregivers and Alzheimer’s care providers if seniors do manage to wander off. Calling 911 right away can speed up the process of getting emergency help if it’s needed.

No one wants to go through an experience in which the seniors they love wander off alone and lost. Working with Alzheimer’s care providers can help to make sure that seniors with Alzheimer’s disease have the support they need to avoid wandering as much as possible.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s care in Sunnyvale, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers today (408) 317-4969.