Wandering is, unfortunately, a common part of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It has numerous causes, including boredom, medication side effects, and looking for someone or something to do. If you recently dealt with a wandering loved one or are concerned it may happen soon, use these dementia care tips to keep your family member safe and happy.

Top Dementia Care Tips to Address Wandering

1. Use Signs

Put up signs on entry doors with wording such as “Do Not Enter” and “Stop.” Add signs to internal doors as well to reduce confusion. Signs titled “Bathroom,” “Kitchen,” “Bedroom,” and “Basement” keep the loved one from accidentally going outdoors when he or she is looking for a snack or needs something else.

2. Make Time for Exercise

Help the senior in your life get sufficient exercise every day based on his or her fitness level and overall health. Try low-impact exercises that tone muscles, promote healthy joints, and improve cardiovascular health to keep the loved one from becoming agitated and restless. Increased exercise during the day also helps the senior feel tired at night and enjoy a more restful sleep. Lack of healthy sleep is linked to wandering. 

3. Provide Plenty of Distractions

Offer distractions as part of wandering prevention and overall dementia care, such as crafting projects you can do together. Put on the loved one’s favorite music or flip through family albums, both of which help trigger memories to stimulate the brain. Gardening is another distraction that also promotes restful sleep because of the labor it involves.

4. Consider Assisted Living

Discuss assisted living options with your family if wandering activities have not stopped despite your best efforts, or the senior simply requires more involved dementia care. The right senior living facility provides memory care services among others to help dementia patients live their best lives feeling comfortable and safe. Assisting living services also provide you and the rest of your family with peace of mind because it eliminates worries associated with wandering.

If dementia care from an assisted living facility is best for your loved one, contact Meadowthorpe Assisted Living and Memory Care. The Lexington, KY, complex offers short- and long-term senior living services as well as 24/7 care in fully furnished, comfortable facilities. Call (859) 878-1300 today to discuss your loved one’s needs or visit the center online for more about medical, social, and dietary services. Keep up with the latest facility news on Facebook.