November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and Family Caregiver Month. About 60% of the nation’s 5 million Alzheimer’s patients will wander, according to Beth Kallmyer, senior director of constituent services at the Alzheimer’s Association.
“This is such a big worry for families,” she says. “We tell them their loved ones can wander off at any time, even when you just go into the kitchen for a minute to start dinner.”
Kallmyer advises families that there’s no way to keep an eye on someone 24-7, but that there are some steps they can take to decrease the chances their loved one will wander.
1. Keep wandering top of mind
Sometimes families are surprised when their loved one wanders. Lawrence Schonfeld, an Alzheimer’s expert, has noticed sometimes families forget that wandering is a huge risk because they’re so overwhelmed with other aspects of Alzheimer’s disease.
That can be a fatal mistake.
“Families are worried their loved one will leave the stove on in the kitchen, or they’re annoyed when their loved one asks the same question over and over again,” he says. “Wandering isn’t always their major concern.”
2. Pick up on the red flags of wandering
Wandering can happen at any time, but it’s more likely in certain situations, such as when someone with dementia is in unfamiliar surroundings.
People with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia often leave clues that they’re about to wander. If your loved one says, “It’s time to go to work,” she might truly be headed out the door in a few minutes. “I want to go home” might mean he’s about to go in search of his childhood home, and you have to stop him.
3. Distract them
Don’t say “Dad, you haven’t worked in 30 years,” or “Mom, you’re already at home.” Reasoning won’t work. Instead, distract.
“If they say they want to go to work, tell them ‘OK let’s go see if we can find your shoes,’” Schonfeld suggests. “By the time they get their shoes on they’ll have forgotten about going to work.”
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