Why Might a Senior with Alzheimer’s Disease Wander?

With approximately three out of every five seniors who are living with Alzheimer’s disease exhibiting symtoms, wandering tendencies are some of the most common behaviors of the disease. They can also be some of the most difficult to understand.

Home Care Salisbury NC – Why Might a Senior with Alzheimer’s Disease Wander?

As a family caregiver, you might not understand why your parents would have the compulsion to wander, or what might lead them to leave the house, get lost, or get into dangerous situations. By better understanding what might compel your senior to wander, you can better create a plan of care designed to support better mental and emotional health, and greater safety for your aging parent.

Some of the reasons a senior with Alzheimer’s disease might develop wandering tendencies include:

• Confusion about time and place may make your parents feel as though they are late for something, particularly work. If your elderly adult was very hard-working, or worked for the majority of their lifetime, they may feel as though they should be at work, that they are late for work, or that they should be doing something related to work. This can lead them to wander to find these activities.
• Being in an unfamiliar environment can cause your parent anxiety, and make them feel as though they are lost. They may then wander in order to find somewhere more familiar.
• Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease often lose the ability to verbalize, or even to fully understand, hunger and thirst signals. If your parent feels hungry or thirsty, they may wander in order to find a way to satisfy these urges.
• Discomfort or anxiety can cause your parent to wander in order to escape a situation. Even if they are at home in a fully safe and comfortable environment, they may feel disoriented and that they need to go somewhere else.
• If your senior no longer remembers that their partner or other loved one has passed away, they may wander in an effort to find that person.

If your senior has been experiencing greater needs and challenges, your own abilities have changed and made it more difficult for you to fulfill your parents needs effectively, or you simply believe they would benefit from more diversified care, now maybe the right time for you to start home care. An in-home senior care services provider can supplement your care routine to help your parent manage their challenges and needs in ways that are right for them.

Through a set of highly personalized services, this home care provider can help your parent to stay safer and healthier, increase their activity, boost their mental and emotional health, stimulate their mind, and encourage greater independence and fulfillment. As their family caregiver, this can give you confidence they are living at their highest quality of life, while also allowing you to step back and focus on other elements of your life as well.

Source: https://www.alz.org/

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Salisbury NC, please contact the caring staff at TenderHearted Home Care today. (704) 612-4132.