VISITING ANGELS AUBURN, NH 603-483-8999
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Senior Care Experts Share Tips For Helping Seniors Who Tend To Wander

Ask any caregiver who is experienced with cognitive disorders and they’ll probably tell you the same thing - wandering is common among their patients. While wandering itself is not an inherently bad activity, if left unsupervised, wandering seniors can put themselves in danger. According to the Mayo Clinic, “wandering or getting lost is common among people with dementia.” If you or a loved one is dealing with wandering issues, here are some things to keep in mind, according to senior care experts.

Understanding the reasons behind wandering

Before we can get into ways you can help seniors if they are having wandering issues, it’s important to understand some of the reasons why they might be doing it in the first place, according to senior care experts. Here are a couple of the most common reasons why seniors with cognitive disorders tend to wander.

  • They could be looking out for their basic needs, like hunger, thirst or to use the bathroom. If a senior’s body is urging them to do something but they don’t have the cognitive ability to do it themselves, they have a higher chance of wandering around to try and solve the problem.
  • A senior who frequently wanders could be trying to do old routines they were used to before their memory problems started.

Best ways to prevent seniors from wandering

According to senior care experts, there are several approaches you can take as a loved one or caregiver that can help prevent wandering. Here are some the most useful ways to help prevent wandering.

  • Remain calm at all times: This one is important. If a senior with dementia or other cognitive disorders senses that their caregiver is anxious, upset or even angry, they may spiral even worse and become more confused. When discussing wandering with your loved one, try to reassure them that you’re on their side and only doing the things you’re doing to help them.
  • Set up a routine that is easy to repeat: For seniors with wandering problems, one of the best ways to help prevent it is to help set up a routine for them. If they know where to go, when to go and what to do to meet their basic needs, there are going to be a lot fewer instances of a senior getting confused and wandering.
  • When in doubt, install locks and alarms: If you’re having extra trouble getting your loved one to stop wandering, senior care experts recommend installing extra locks and alarms on windows and doors to make it that much harder for a senior to leave the house when someone isn’t looking after them. 

Serving Manchester, Derry, Concord, Auburn NH and the Surrounding Area

Visiting Angels AUBURN, NH
14 Hookset Rd,
Auburn, NH 03032
Phone: 603-483-8999

Serving Manchester, Derry, Concord, Auburn NH and the Surrounding Area

Visiting Angels AUBURN, NH
14 Hookset Rd,
Auburn, NH 03032
Phone: 603-483-8999