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Seniors and Wandering & Alzheimer?s
Wandering can be a frightening experience for the family of a senior with Alzheimers.? It is important to find out as much as you can as to why and where they wander.? This article is a good start towards understanding and learning from senior care professionals about wandering.

Ask the home care agency for details of their staffinf an agency without RN?s or Case Managers will not be your best bet so ask the right questions.

Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA
Wandering is one of the greatest challenges faced by family caregivers where a senior?has Alzheimer?s or other memory loss. Over 60% of Alzheimer?s patients will become lost at some time. Most are gone only briefly, though long enough to frighten their elder loved ones. Others may be lost for an extended period of time, and unfortunately, there are news reports each year of missing Alzheimer?s patients who are never located. It is a sobering fact that if a person with dementia is lost for over 24 hours, he or she is likely to suffer a fall or other serious injury, or even death from injury or exposure. Reports one family caregiver, ?The thought that Dad would climb onto a bus at the corner and we would never find him again keeps me awake at night, even on nights when he is getting a good night?s sleep.?

Why do elders with dementia wander?

For Elders with Alzheimer?s or other memory loss, confusion and disorientation make it increasingly difficult to recognize familiar faces and places, even a spouse or child, or a lifetime home. Geriatricians point out that the term ?wandering? is something of a misnomer, because many times, in the person?s mind, his or her activity is not purposeless. She may be looking for the bathroom but be unable to find it. He may think it is time to leave for work, even if he retired years before. A great-grandmother might be searching for her children, in the belief that they are still small and in need of her care.

Other factors that contribute to wandering include restlessness, agitation and stress; boredom and lack of a sense of purpose; sleep disorders; physical pain; and the side effects of medications.

Keeping your senioe safe

When a senior with dementia wanders, family often decide that a nursing home or memory care community is the best choice for the person. However, many patients fare much better at home, in familiar surroundings. How can families keep their loved one safe at home, for as long as possible? Talk to Home care agencies that have RN?s or Case Mangers on staff who are specically trained to offer these suggestions:

Observe your senior?loved one?s patterns. The first step is to understand as best you can the reason for your senior?s wandering. What are his ?triggers?? Where does he usually try to go? During what time of day is he most restless? Does he seem to be looking for something, someone, or someplace?

Adapt the home to keep your loved one safe. Beyond the usual ?aging in place? home modifications, you can add special locks to doors, safety gates to prevent exit, and an alarm that will sound if the front door is open. Talk to a Agency Case Manager?for information about other home modifications.

Hire professionals for?in-home care. With jobs and other obligations, families are often overwhelmed Agency home caregivers are trained to provide a watchful but non-intrusive presence in the home. Says one home care aide, ?We?ve learned that for many seniors, ?hovering? makes things worse and leads to increased wandering.? Families report that they have a more peaceful relationship with their loved one when the? home care?agency caregiver takes over some of the basic personal care tasks.

Written By : Jacob Munoz

ComForcare Home Care?helps many families with their eldercare caregiving needs as well as personal injuries, workers compensation, cosmetic surgery rehab and new mom care.

??If you have questions or need help with home care for your loved one, call us!??We are a home care agency providing in home care in San Francisco, CA and the surrounding area.? Please call ? 415.420.6114 or 800.993.2945 to Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA

Tags: familiar faces, period of time, exposure reports, family caregiver, Caregivers San Francisco, lisa marie

Source: http://sfbayseniorcare.com/wandering-alzheimers-in-seniors-in-san-francisco-ca/

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