It’s common for dementia patients to accidentally get lost or confused about their location. In fact, 6 out of 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once in their lives, and many will do so repeatedly.
This alarming statistic has made dementia wandering a major concern for caregivers and family members of seniors with dementia.
But what causes dementia wandering?
- Regular activities like taking walks: A walk to an old neighbourhood or mailbox can lead to disorientation.
- Stress or fear: Crowded or unfamiliar places can stir fear in people living with dementia and make them attempt to flee such environments.
- Poor eyesight: Impaired vision can misguide seniors and make them wander from a designated path.
- Physical discomfort (e.g., thirst or a need for a bathroom trip): While searching for a solution, they may become disoriented and wander.
While it’s impossible to entirely prevent dementia wandering, you can reduce the danger and keep those wandering safe through technology-based solutions, behavioural changes, and always being prepared.
Step 1: Secure Your Home
The first step to ensuring your loved one’s safety and mitigating the risks of dementia wandering is securing your home so that they don’t leave the house unsupervised.
At Tranquil, we advocate for our seniors to live as independently as possible, but we encourage taking safety measures while at it. A simple home safety modification such as relocating door locks above eye level will prevent exit-seeking behaviours and reduce dementia wandering.
Other ways to secure your home and prevent loved ones from leaving the house unsupervised include:
- Adding child-proof door knob covers to make it more difficult to open the door
- Putting in new door locks that they can’t open on their own
- Keeping objects associated with outdoors (e.g., car keys and shoes) out of sight
- Concealing doors by decorating or covering them with mirrors and posters
- Putting a sign on the door that discourages outside movements, e.g., “Stop” or “Do not Enter”
Pair this with Aura, which alerts you the moment your loved one leaves a safe area, giving you peace of mind even when you’re not in the same room.
Step 2: Set Up Safe Zone Alerts
Safe zone (or geofence) alerts are one of the most effective tools for catching a wandering incident early. Rather than waiting to notice someone is missing, you’re notified the instant they leave a pre-set area, whether that’s the house, the garden, or a wider zone around the neighbourhood.
This is one of Aura’s core features: you set the boundary once in the app, and you’ll get an alert the moment it’s crossed, day or night.
“The tracker is what we need to keep loved ones safe and sound. The product does exactly what it says.” Tranquil Verified Buyer
Step 3: Identify and Solve the Triggers for Wandering Behaviour
Sometimes, there’s a motive behind dementia wandering. In such instances, it’s crucial to identify what caused the wandering, when it occurred, and the activities your loved one did just before.
Over time, you’ll notice a pattern; maybe they wander at the same time every day, when they are thirsty, bored, or encounter a stressful situation.
Identifying and solving these triggers plays a huge role in mitigating the possible risks of dementia wandering. For instance:
- If they’re trying to fight boredom or lacking in physically engaging activities, find fun activities and games to keep them occupied.
- If they’re trying to return to an old routine, say driving to work, validate them to make them feel secure, then suggest a safer activity such as taking a walk together.
- If they feel confused in a new environment, provide a calm and serene space where they’ll feel safe.
- If they keep waking up at night because of thirst or hunger, leave a glass of water or a few bites of food by their bedside.
Expert Tip: A recent study on dementia patients found that physical exercise reduces agitation and helps them release stress, a major cause of dementia wandering. This means that a simple exercise such as a supervised walk around the neighbourhood before dinner can reduce night wandering.
Step 4: Have Your Loved One Wear a GPS Tracking Device at All Times
No matter the solution implemented to keep dementia patients at home or under supervision, it sometimes fails. Without a tracking device, monitoring wandering dementia patients can be a challenge.
A GPS tracker shows you the exact location of your loved one, helping you find them when they wander and cannot trace their way back home. It’s usually worn or carried by the person with dementia and monitored by the caregiver through a mobile app.
A major advantage of a GPS tracker is that it allows the person you’re caring for to live independently while you stay connected when it matters: wandering, falls, or any other emergency.
Here’s a simple explanation of how it works:
- The tracker sends a request for its location to satellites orbiting the Earth.
- The satellites return the location information to the device.
- The tracker uses mobile signal to send that location data to a tracking app on your phone.
Aura is designed to be worn comfortably day and night, discreet enough that your loved one won’t feel like they’re being monitored, with a battery built to last, two-way SOS calling, and safe zone alerts built in as standard. You can also rent Aura if you’d rather try it before committing to buying outright.
Step 5: Be Prepared for Dementia Wandering
Most families and caregivers experience immense stress when their loved ones living with dementia wander or get lost. Having a plan beforehand helps you know what to do and how to act during this trying time.
Below are a few precautions to take just in case your senior loved one wanders:
- Keep a recent close-up photo to show to the police or rescue personnel.
- Make a list of the areas they might wander to, like past restaurants or jobs.
- Ask neighbours and friends to reach out to you whenever they see them wander or look lost.
- Know their neighbourhood and identify areas of potential risk like water bodies, tunnels, and bus stops.
Keep Your Loved One Safe During Dementia Wandering
At Tranquil, we believe technology is the key to improving every senior’s lifestyle and independence. We want your elderly loved ones to feel safe and live independently in their homes for as long as possible, a mission that technology has helped us achieve.
GPS tracking devices help monitor senior adults and mitigate dementia wandering risks without invading their privacy. If you need extra help managing dementia wandering for your loved ones, our team of experts is here to help.
Contact us today, and we’ll get back to you right away.
“Tranquil’s team are helpful, friendly and reassured me on each occasion I needed advice.” Kathleen M.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if my loved one is missing?
Take immediate action the moment your loved one with dementia wanders away:
- Confirmation: Establish if it’s an emergency and check if they’re nearby.
- Response: If you can’t find them, take the following actions, calmly:
- Call the police
- Alert any nearby caregivers
- Log in to your tracker
- If the tracker shows a location, inform the police immediately
- If the tracker has a call feature, try calling them directly
- Provide details: Have their name, date of birth, and a brief description ready for the police.
At what stage of dementia does wandering occur?
Dementia wandering is more common in the middle and later stages, although it can occur at any time during the disease. That’s why it’s worth investing in a GPS tracker like Aura early on, so it’s already part of your loved one’s routine before wandering becomes a risk.
How can I prevent a dementia patient from wandering at night?
Ensuring your loved one sleeps better at night will reduce the chances of dementia wandering. You can achieve this by establishing a sleep schedule, limiting day naps, or encouraging physical exercise during the day. Safe zone alerts from Aura will also let you know the moment they leave their bed area or the house, even while you’re asleep.