Alzheimer's and the Dangers of Wandering

One of the most terrifying aspects in the daily challenges of caring for an Alzheimer's patient is the fact that Alzheimer's suffers will wander off without the capabilities of communicating either where they are going and why, or the ability of letting loved ones know where they are. If you someone you love has Alzheimer's, or you are a primary care giver, you will need to know some of the circumstances they will leave under, and what you can do about it to help keep them safe, so you will have a little peace of mind.

Alzheimer's suffers do not wander off to be mean or hateful to the people they love, or to their caregiver. They simply lack the knowledge to know better. With my experience in dealing with Alzheimer's and my father, I learned a few very valuable lessons and found ways that I could keep him safe. First, it is necessary to understand the different situations that Alzheimer's suffers use to get out of your line of site. Like children, Alzheimer's patients can and will find a way to dupe you in order to wander off. Curiosity of often the source of the problem but you can help stop it. The list below will tell you some of the occasions that you need to be wary of.

• People with Alzheimer's will leave their beds after you have gone to sleep. Their sleep and wake cycle is off track because of the damage that is taking place in their brain from the effects of the disease. Keeping them awake for longer periods of time, or shorter durations of naps, seemed to help my father a lot. Finally, it was necessary to ask his doctor for a mild sleeping pill to help him rest at night. My father still had some issues with sleeping, but it did help us and him rest better at night, without the dangers of him leaving the house, which he had been doing for quite some time.