In 2016, a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s wandered away from her family during a museum trip. She was never found. Two years later, bones found in a park just over ten miles away were positively identified as hers. No one knows how she got to that park or why she went there. Her favorite park and home area were about 30 miles in the opposite direction. Creating a comprehensive Alzheimer’s home care plan is the best way to prevent wandering from happening.

Sixty percent of Alzheimer’s patients wander away at least once. Only half are found within a few miles of their home, many are found 10 or more away. If they have access to a car, it’s rare for them to be found in their own county.

Wandering is a major concern for families caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s, especially if it happens at night when people are sleeping. Most disappearances occur during the day, but three out of ten Alzheimer’s patients wander away at night. Only 30% of those who do wander away at any time of the day are found within six hours.

These are the steps you and Alzheimer’s home care providers can take to protect your mom.

Purchase a GPS Tracker

Get GPS tracking devices and hide them in things you know your mom would take with her on a walk. Sew them into a jacket pocket or the tongue of her favorite sneakers. If you can get her to wear a watch, get a watch that has built-in GPS tracking.

Put Alarms on Doors and Windows

Start by installing alarms on doors and windows. Put them on your mom’s bedroom door and windows. Add alarms on all exterior doors and windows throughout the home. Try to put them in spots she won’t notice and try to remove them on her own.

Add Locks in Unusual Locations

If your mom can’t open a door, she won’t be able to get outside. Install sliding bolt locks at the top of a door. She’s unlikely to look up for a lock. If you can get locks that you can control with an app, that can be helpful in case of a fire.

Take Away Her Keys

If your mom still has a car, take away the keys. Lock them away where she can’t find them. Remove her car’s battery, too.

Hire Alzheimer’s Home Care Aides

When you’re sleeping, consider hiring professional caregivers for Alzheimer’s home care. A caregiver is awake and ready to redirect her if she wakes up and wants to leave. If you work during the day, it helps to have a caregiver there to help redirect her when you’re on a call or video conference.

Call our home care specialist. Ask about Alzheimer’s home care and how to schedule the services your mom needs.

Sources: https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/wandering
https://www.theiacp.org/sites/default/files/all/a/AlzheimersTrainingKey.pdf

If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in St. Marys PA please contact the caring staff at Quality Health Services today. 814-251-9044

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Quality Health Services Staff

Quality Health Services aims to provide the best service to those in need. As our name states, we put quality above all, most importantly in the care that we provide. QHS performs comprehensive screenings in our search for the most experienced, reliable, and compassionate caregivers in the industry. We regularly train our caregivers to enhance their skills concerning safety, health and wellness of all our clients. Our goal is to help our clients achieve the highest level of independence and live meaningful lives.

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