When seniors wander from their homes, it can be scary for everyone involved: the senior, their loved ones, neighbors and anyone else involved in their care. The consequences of wandering can sometimes be tragic, so seniorcare experts advise taking all possible precautions.
If a senior starts to wander, it may help to understand why. For some seniors, going out of the house on their own is an important way to assert their continued independence. With the loss of so many other abilities including physical strength and cognitive abilities, being able to do something on their own is important. For others, wandering is a result of mental impairment or diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Wandering can also be due to memory loss as a result of aging. Other reasons cited by seniorcare experts include boredom, discomfort, excess energy, reactions to medication, following old habits or mistakenly fulfilling prior obligations, or looking for someone from their past.
As a result of wandering, seniorcare specialists indicate that seniors face several risks. Seniors who are have diminished strength or health can be at risk of being robbed or taken advantage of while out. In addition, if their memory is imperfect, they could get lost and not be able to find their way home. Seniors who drive and wander can end up very far from home with no idea how they got there, where they are or how to get back. Wandering seniors can also get in car accidents.
In order to try to prevent or minimize the effects of wandering seniors, seniorcare experts recommend the following:
- Place signs around the house at doors leading outside that say ‘Stop’ or ‘Do Not Enter’
- Install an alarm system or door sensors to alert family members when a door is opened
- Keep car keys, purses, and coats hidden and not easily accessible
- Let nearby neighbors and business know about the senior’s wandering tendencies
- Keep a recent picture readily available
- Keep track of the clothing a senior is wearing each day, by either limiting their wardrobe entirely, or assigning certain colors to certain days
- Keep the senior engaged in an exercise program, community center or other activities to minimize boredom and restlessness
- Enroll the senior in a safety program
- Hire a senior home care provider
If a senior does wander and is not quickly found, most states have special programs that issue alerts for lost seniors. Specific criteria for having an alert issued vary by state and may include requirements such as age, medical diagnosis, potential consequences to health and wellbeing, and jurisdictional residency. In addition, there may be requirements that the alert needs to be requested within a certain amount of time after the senior disappears.
