Strategies To Reduce The Risk Of Wandering
Caregivers or family members may be able to reduce the risk of wandering. However, they may not be able to guarantee that a person living with dementia will not wander. The following are some tips in keeping your loved one with dementia safe.
Home Safety Tips:
Install multiple locks on all exit doors in the home, ensuring that most are complicated and difficult to unlock. Consider utilizing child safety products to make it harder to easily turn the doorknob and open the door. Additional locks may also be placed at the top of the door, out of the loved one’s reach. As a safeguard, it’s important to note that these methods should only be implemented when there is a caregiver in the home. This will avoid any potential for a loved one getting trapped in the event of an emergency.
Door and window alarms. Placing alarms on all exit doors and windows will alert the caregiver when any doors or windows in the home are opened. This is a crucial proactive measure to reduce the risk of elopement.
Stop signs. Placing a stop sign on the exit door may deter your loved one from attempting to leave the home due to the red and white warning sign. Other strategies to reduce elopement include camouflaging the door. Loved ones may be looking for the exit to “get to work” or “go home,” but when the door is disguised as something else, such as a bookshelf or portrait, they may be less likely to recognize it as an exit and will instead move to other areas of the home. Placing a black rug at the foot of the door may also be effective as the dark space may appear to the loved one as a hole, discouraging them from approaching the exit. Using safety gates is also another effective means of preventing elopement. Placing curtains to cover an exit door could be effective as the loved one will recognize that a curtain is concealing an exit. Using wet floor signs or an out of order sign could also be effective tools, as the loved one is less likely to approach the door when they see these signs.
Securing car keys. Secure all car keys out of sight to reduce the risk of your loved one getting behind the wheel and attempting to drive.
Outdoor Surveillance Camera. When a person with dementia wanders away, the caregiver can immediately scan the surveillance camera recording to uncover which direction the loved one is headed. This real time information will enable the caregiver to head in the right direction and recover the loved one. Utilizing outdoor surveillance will enable the caregiver to provide an accurate description of how the loved one is dressed upon exiting the home. Any insight into the direction of travel could come in handy in a recovery effort.
Indoor surveillance cameras allow caregivers to monitor the whereabouts and wellbeing of their loved one while allowing the loved one to wander and maintain a level of independence within their home. Indoor camera is an assistive technology that helps the caregiver to monitor and prevent elopements.
Talk to your neighbors. Let your neighbors know your loved one has dementia and is an elopement risk. Some neighbors will be kind to keep an eye out and notify you if they see your loved one wandering away from where they live.
Public Safety Tips:
Never lose sight of your loved one. In public spaces, it’s crucial to always keep your loved one with dementia in view. Ensure they walk beside you or just in front, never behind. In crowded public spaces, it is best practice to always hold hands with your loved one to reduce the risk of elopement. Also, do not leave your loved one with dementia alone in the car. When you leave the car, he or she must accompany you.
Do not leave a loved one alone at the front of the store unless you notify someone to remain physically present with your loved one until you return.
While out in public places like museums, parks, theaters, libraries, and sports complex, consider using Family Restrooms, these are family style, unisex restrooms. The caregiver and their loved one can use the same restroom at the same time if assistance is needed. It will prevent the likelihood of a loved one getting lost in a crowded or busy restroom. It is recommended that caregivers download the following three public bathroom finder’s apps from their Google or iPhone app stores: Lulu, WC Locator, and Flush. Caregivers are encouraged to research and locate the nearest family bathroom at a public event they will be attending with their loved one.
Accompany your loved one on their daily walks. Loved ones with dementia can be overcome with confusion at any time, even in the most familiar surroundings, making it risky for them to walk alone. It is best practice to accompany and keep them company while they are taking walks to reduce the risk of wandering and elopement. Walking together not only ensures their safety, but also engages them both physically and socially.
Related articles:
Keeping Your Loved One Safe: Help for Those Who Wander
Checklist: Is Your Loved One At Risk For Wandering?
Is It Safe To Leave My Loved One Alone in the House?
Please talk with your own/loved one’s healthcare provider before using any of this information.
