I'm a new caregiver to an 80 yo man with alzheimer's still at home, very fit, very active, who wanders frequently and lately has begun more night-time wandering. This takes him up and down a staircase, sometimes carrying dining room chairs up and down, into and out of two beds/bedrooms and he is incontinent. Worsening sundowning and this night-time activity has been multiplying the stress on the family members. The condo is not set up with natural barriers like doors to the different areas. Even if it was, the client would get agitated if he had no access to the other parts of the house. A fall with a gash to the head has already transpired and the situation seems to be leading to inevitable more crisies. Where shall we begin to problem solve this increased night-time activity? Family has brought me in as a daytime respite and is open to my suggestions. They do have medications for him to calm him but he is a greater fall risk with medications on board. We are also considering daytime daycare to increase his stimulation and activity during the day. Any further advice much appreciated. Normally he sleeps downstairs in the guest bedroom with occasional jaunts up to the master bedrooom. Shall I encourage the spouse to lock the master bedroom door at night or make sure there is only one bed accessible to her husband? I'm not sure how spouses have handled this with loved ones. How have families contained an incontinent nighttime wanderer to one area?
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Your idea of locking the bedroom door seems good. They also may have to devise some "barriers" - and disguise entrances and exits. Keyed locks placed high on the door can help keep people from wandering out of doors.
Adult day care sounds like an excellent idea. He may get more tired out if he has that outside stimulation.
It's fortunate that the family is so open. It's very possible that this gentleman may need a locked memory unit before long, for his own safety. Unless the house can be modified enough to keep him safer, they likely will need to consider this move.
Thanks for writing and please let us know how things go,
Carol
When my father-in-law was at home, he also would try to go upstairs or go outside to the neighbor's if he feels he is alone. We had caregivers next to him 24/7. In the beginning, they had to block the stairway. It helps if you blocks the paths for the person so he cannot walk around freely. This can be done if he has very bad memory loss and would not understand why it is blocked. The spouse certainly can lock her door but it may help more if they block the stairway with a chair or some furniture.
Gradually if he is not allowed to go there, he will forget about it. My FIL only went upstairs one more time when we were upstairs and he wanted some help. (The caregiver was asleep downstairs.)
Eventually the person has to be in a locked memory unit for his safety. My FIL is now in a NH with locked units for memory impaired people only.
If the family wants to keep him at home, they need to hire someone next to him to make sure he does not wander out of the house.
Regards,
NC
Hello. My father died of a relatively short but very severe period of vascular dementia. He would get agitated at night and sort of patrol the house. He'd want scissors so he could cut the tail of his pajamas. It was quite bizarre, but it all had its own kind of sense (he did not like having his pajama top untucked, but he always pulled it out for some reason; he had been a neatnik his whole life). We kids would take turns going to my mother's to spell her a bit. If only someone had explained sundown syndrome to us! With my mother, who resides with us and has dementia, I have begun to prepare for the inevitable wandering. I have found the book, The Complete Guide to Alzheimer's Proofing Your Home, if very useful and sensitively written. The trouble I face with my mother is that she is now saying "I don't want *any* changes" in my room. I had hoped to get her into a manipulable twin-sized bed by now, but she is fighting it a lot. Still, we will eventually have to make some significant changes in her room for safety and usability. Good luck with your work. People like you
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I was trying to say that people like you are a godsend to people like me. Dementia is stressful for the patient and for the family, and having assistance is essential to the family's keeping an even keel as they face the inevitable.
Best wishes,
CJ