Prevent a senior from wandering
If you’re caring for an aging relative with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, you understand the worry of having them wander away from home.
Tips that may help ensure that doesn’t happen, or that reduce their risk of harm, include:
● Install door alarms in your home to help alert you with a text whenever the care recipient opens a door to the outside of your home.
● Set up video cameras on the inside and exterior of your home, having them alert your smart phone of any movement. (Over the past few years, these cameras have become quite inexpensive to purchase and easy to install.)
● If your loved one is able to use a cell phone, purchase one that is made just for seniors, with limited capabilities. This makes it much simpler for them to use; they may dial a button with your photo or name on it should they become lost.
● Purchase a safety device that they can wear around their neck or on a wristband that will alert your phone if they venture outside a predetermined radius.
“At CHI Living Communities, our Memory Care teams are specially educated to help ensure our residents don’t wander off,” emphasizes Heather Rehmer, Vice President of Operations. “If your loved one is staying with us, explain why leaving campus is dangerous, and why monitoring their whereabouts is necessary. They may feel safer knowing that no one will forget about them.”
If your loved one has wandered off before, chances are rather high that they may do it again. Be sure to notify the nurse and the campus’ leadership team of this risk so they may put extra measures in place to keep them safe.
“By working closely with our Memory Care team, our families like knowing our safety practices and can trust their senior is being looked after appropriately,” adds Rehmer.
If your loved one is still being cared for at home, be sure to install safety measures to help prevent them from wandering. And, if you want to begin considering options for their care, please contact our campus nearest you via chilivingcommunities.org.