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If your elderly loved has Alzheimer’s or dementia, they may have a tendency to wander off. To help prevent this potentially dangerous behavior and ensure your loved one receives the senior care they need, here are three helpful pointers.

How to Minimize Wandering in Alzheimer’s Patients

1. Help Establish a Daily Routine

Planning out your loved one’s day will provide them with stimulation, enjoyment, and stability that may prove helpful in limiting the impulse to wander. Try serving meals at set times each day and scheduling blocks of time for activities such as exercise, socialization, and daily chores. Structured activities can also help boost overall mood, reducing the likelihood that they’ll meander. 

2. Ensure Their Needs Are Always Met

senior careWhile many dementia patients drift without apparent cause, others get lost or confused trying to fulfill a physical need. If, for example, they’re not escorted to the restroom at set times, they can wander off in an attempt to locate one. Help limit this likelihood with regular check-ins to ensure that they’re physically comfortable and that their core needs are always met.

3. Use Technology

Adding childproof door knob covers may prevent your loved one from wandering. You can also install an alarm at the door or special mats that detect weight and will go off if your elderly relative attempts to leave. Keep car keys out of reach. Have them wear a GPS device so they can be located quickly when they roam, or sign them up for a safe return senior care program. Make an emergency plan with relatives who live nearby and neighbors so you’re prepared. 

4. Secure Proper Supervision

Even with all of the right precautions in place, the best way to protect an elderly loved one from wandering off is to ensure they have proper supervision. Avoid leaving them alone, particularly in unfamiliar surroundings, as this can exacerbate the problem. Consider investing in an in-home senior care specialist to provide them with round-the-clock attention and fulfillment of their needs.


 

If you’re looking to ensure your loved one’s security with compassionate senior care, look no further than Visiting Angels in Toms River, NJ. This independently owned and operated home care service provides everything from meal prep to Alzheimer’s care for patients in Ocean and Monmouth counties. Rest assured that their team of fully bonded, licensed, and insured caregivers will work tirelessly to help your elderly loved one age safely and comfortably. To learn more about the services they provide, give them a call today at (732) 240-1050 or visit them online.

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