Safety and ALZ. I would like some advice on how you keep an ALZ patient from wandering.

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Safety and ALZ. I would like some advice on how you keep an ALZ patient from wandering.

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I would like some advice on how you keep an ALZ patient from wandering. This has not happened yet, but our LO is getting up at 2 or 3 am and trying to start her day. Her elderly caretaker says he has it under control because he listens for her to get up and will get up with her if she is doing more than a nighttime bathroom run. I asked what he planned to do if she tried to take a walk and he said "She won't." I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I'd like a Plan B to "I'll hear her." We asked him to consider an overnight aide so he could get a good night's sleep but....he's not ready for that.

Alzheimer's & Dementia Dementia Wandering Home Safety

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Get the caregiver a motion sensor that will wake him when your LO gets out of bed.
Everything is under control with ALZ patients until one gets out of the house and something terrible happens.
Something like these items. They use them for my FIL because he is a fall risk.
smartcaregiver.com/motion-sensor-alarm-systems/

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Shakingdustoff. Thanks for your comment. I actually laughed out loud at "the elderly caretaker has this situation under control". He SO does not have this under control. The current care plan is a rickety stool with only one leg. He is completely overwhelmed. But it's absolutely his decision. We still, however, had a safety assessment done so he could be aware that leaving bottles of green toilet cleanser on the bathroom sink might be mistaken for mouthwash. Putting an alarm system in or some other locks up high is a great suggestion we will make to him for his consideration. Unless he stops trying to do this all by himself we will never face the situation you describe. She will outlive him by a decade!

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Shakingdustoff. I'm sorry. I certainly didn't mean to abuse you. I don't think ignoring the issue until something happens is the way to go for our family. But I do appreciate your input. Everyone has different situations. Maybe some other family would find that to be the way to go. There isn't one answer that fits everyone's situation. This forum is a useful place to see things from other viewpoints.

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You might try a "visual deterrent" such as a "Stop Sign" or a "Do Not Enter" sign for the doors to the outside. When a dementia or Alzheimer's person sees a "Stop Sign" or a "Do Not Enter" sign, they usually do not attempt to enter or leave the room or attempt to go through the doorway. Putting a black pad or nonslip rug on the floor can also help as dementia and Alzheimer's people interpret the black pad or rug as a "hole in the ground" and they usually will not walk over it. (Although I did have one man who attempted to "JUMP" over the "hole" and crashed into the wall. We had to fix the drywall as he put a good size hole in the wall :-)

Here are two websites: WebMD talks about 10 steps to take to minimize wandering and the "alzstore" website has several different types of wandering deterrents--alarms, stop signs, etc.

webmd.com/brain/10-ways-to-prevent-wandering#1

alzstore.com/alzheimers-dementia-wandering-s/1828.htm

Maybe something like these deterrents might work for your loved one. Good Luck.

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Ditto on the alarms system. I have one as well as additional locks. Most systems can be tailored to your needs.

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I used baby safety covers on my doors. You need round knobs but they worked. They just go around and around. They have to be pinched to be opened. Most elderly have arthritis or have lost strength in their hands so can't pinch.

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There are door stop looking devices that you can put under a door and when the door is opened an alarm will sound. (I found this as a safety item for travelers, it can be put under a hotel door)
You can get one of the bell systems that are on business doors when someone walks through the door the bell will sound. It is an infrared beam that when broken sounds the bell. Easy to install and looks pretty much like the device that is on a garage door that prevents the door from closing if the beam of light is broken.
My Husband was fitted with a device that looked much like a watch and if he wandered the police would be able to scan for the signal. I was able to be in a program through the County Mental Health Department. The program was called Caretrak.
There are devices that can be attached to a dogs collar and you can set a range and if the perimeter is broken an alert will be sent to your phone but even without an alert you can "see" where the device is. So you could attach this to a shoe, to a belt or on a chain that also contains an ID tag. (good idea to have a "dog tag" type info on the person at all times. Men would probably be more willing to wear a dog tag but an ID bracelet would work.)

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My husband never wandered & I always heard if he opened the front door until one nite 2 am two policemen walked in my house w my husband in pj's & stocking feet in Feb. I was in a deep sleep & never heard a thing. I then got from amazon a lock for front door & a friend no longer needed, a laser beam that would make med. Or loud noise on a movable object. Both pieces are movable. I place the beam part on floor so if he walks by the noise is on other part which I move to where I am. I once saw it advertised at Harbor Freight like $25. Luckily my husband had an ID medical bracelet w 4 phone numbers. The police called my daughter 1200 miles away & she gave them our address. He has not wandered since but am now prepared.

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My dad just started doing something similar. He "hears" the doorbell ring at 2 or 3 am. At first, I would hear him yelling my name on the baby monitor. I would go in his room and he would tell me that the caregiver has been ringing the doorbell. I would tell him the time and he would say "Oh!," and turn his head and close his eyes. Then things changed. Next I woke up hearing the house alarm say, "Front door is open." This happened three times, each time he would say someone was ringing the doorbell...all three times it was between 2-3 am. Fortunately, he has a gate around his front entry. I got a lock for the gate for nights. He is unable to climb over it, so that's one area that I feel comfortable. He could still escape a fire (unlike the childproof door handle). I have an alarm on his bedroom door that sounds in my room and is discreetly placed on his bedroom door. The house alarm is now set so if the exterior doors are opened, the alarm will sound. Ring is pretty inexpensive compared to other home alarms, maybe it's time for that sort of investment. I will admit, there was one time that I was asleep in the living room (prior to the alarms) and I woke up to my dad walking back inside the house at 2 am. That was my wake up call. I have my father registered with the local Sheriff's Department. They have a safe return program so if ever he gets out Day/night, they can check their system and contact me. Most police departments have a program for the elderly.

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This elderly client needs a bed alarm, a door alarm, and/or a "wander guard" ankle bracelet. It's only a matter of time before he starts wandering outside (in all types of weather) and gets in trouble. When a caregiver is in a certain "stage" of the sleep cycle, they will not hear a person get up during the night. (A classic example is a spouse who is sound asleep and does not even hear the person sleeping next to them get up to use the bathroom.) Please get some alarms!

Safety and ALZ. I would like some advice on how you keep an ALZ patient from wandering.

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