Peoples with dementia are at an increased risk of wandering. Wandering is when an individual leaves their place of residence (or where ever they are at the time) and becomes lost. They are not aware of how they got to an area or where they are in most instances. People suffering from dementia have memory impairment and can’t recognize landmarks they have known their entire lives to orient and navigate by.
What is Elopement?
A very dangerous situation can occur when a resident with dementia wanders – elopement. Elopement is when the resident wanders ‘out of bounds’ without supervision. These are the types of situations that are covered by the media. A resident wanders into an unknown area and is not found for hours or even days. Search and rescue teams are called in and the search can be very exhausting. Not to mention, expensive in both hours, cost, and possible loss of life.
Sundowning
Some of the more serious incidents are caused by the resident experiencing what is called ‘sundowning’. Sundowner’s syndrome or sundowning is when the resident suffering from dementia becomes increasingly incoherent in the late afternoon and evening hours. Research has not pinpointed the cause for sundowning. Classic symptoms of this syndrome in dementia residents: hearing and seeing things that are not there, wandering, yelling, and un co-operative behaviors.
SNFs use different methods to reduce and possibly eliminate wandering. Some are high tech, but some of the most effective are low tech. For residents that have a habit of wandering into other resident’s rooms, a simple fabric strip across the door can deter them from entering. Curtains can help a resident remember not to enter an area, as well.
Technology Offers Solutions
A number of nursing homes have turned to special bracelets that have chips embedded in them. When the resident with wandering issues comes close to a door, an alarm will sound or the door may lock automatically. If the door does not lock, the resident can still gain outside access, but the staff will know exactly which door has opened. Other alarm methods are not this advanced in certain SNFs and the staff will need to track down the exit.
Before being admitted to an SNF, the resident should be assessed for wandering. Tradgedies can be averted if the staff is aware of just how much and even if, a resident will wander. Risks change and if a resident starts wandering, the staff should have the resident assessed again and re-evaluate their methods of prevention. Not every resident will be able to be prevented from wandering, but with assessments in place and a plan for if a resident is missing is in place, happy endings are possible.
