As a person’s dementia worsens to its middle stage, they might have the impulse to go outside the home and wander. Since Alzheimer’s or dementia impedes a person’s ability to retain memory, those who wander may get lost. As a provider of home care in Collingdale, Pennsylvania, we understand how families worry about their loved ones who wander. That is why we offer advice to help keep their loved ones with dementia safe at home.

It’s best to start by learning why wandering occurs among people with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Along with their behavior, a person’s sleeping pattern may also change as their condition progresses. Hence, they might wake up at night disoriented, thinking they must go somewhere to work or do errands. An effective dementia care strategy would involve helping your loved ones differentiate day and night.

During the day, you can expose them to natural sunlight. Doing so helps better your loved one’s circadian rhythms (or the sleep-wake cycle the human body follows). As your trusted home health agency in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, we also discourage people with Alzheimer’s to sleep during the day. Instead, we encourage engaging them in activities to have them follow a routine.

If your loved one exhibits severe wandering symptoms, you may want to consider the following options:

• Lock your doors long enough for a caregiver to intervene.
• Reduce their wandering impulse by taking them on morning strolls.
• Place alarms to alert you whenever someone opens the door.
• Install a GPS-powered medical alert system.

If you’re struggling to prevent your loved one with dementia from wandering, perhaps it’s best to seek senior care in Pennsylvania. Our care professionals at KeynCare can handle even people with severe cases of Alzheimer’s or dementia.