Health Information
Memory Problems: Wandering
Topic Overview
Wandering can pose a major problem for the caregiver and can be dangerous for a person who has Reference Alzheimer's disease Opens New Window or another Reference dementia Opens New Window.
Get a medical ID bracelet for the person so that you can be contacted if he or she wanders away.
- Try to figure out why the person wanders. He or she may be trying to find something specific or looking for a familiar object. A person who wanders at a certain time of day may always have taken a walk or gone to work at that time.
- Lock outside doors, and use alarms and other devices to alert you when the person wanders outdoors or into unsafe areas.
- Provide a safe place for wandering, such as an enclosed yard or garden.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference October 29, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Myron F. Weiner, MD - Psychiatry, Neurology |
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