Recently, my Mom who's thought off and on she's not at home, walked off to "go home". On one occasion she took off in the rain with a small bag, her dogs and no coat. Today she left again, this time with a coat. Both instances were the first wandering events and both followed nights of very little sleep. We've tried giving her melatonin and it seems to help. When she doesn't sleep, she doesn't recognize my Stepdad about half the time and thinks some other guy has showed up instead. My question is whether anyone else has experienced similar situations and whether or not their Drs have prescribed any medications to help sleep. My Mom generally seems pretty good if she does get a good night's rest.
It is dangerous for them to wander and once it starts it just gets worse, and can happen at night. Day and night become lost to them.
My mom would pack and go out the door- it was SO frightening!
I had to hire 24hr care and even then she took off.
Try anti-anxiety meds- they helped a bit.
Eliminating the stress of sleep deprivation may help Mom's overall health and possibly help reduce some symptoms. Be aware, though, that wandering is an Alzheimer symptom, as is loss of person recognition. Better sleep is worth pursuing, but it will not cure her dementia.