Chapter 2: Wandering, and other signs of dementia, not always heeded — dailypress.com
From Newsday
Who’s at risk
Wandering is one of dementia’s significant calling cards, medical experts say.
It can be triggered by stress, agitation coming from feelings of lost control, or a desire to fulfill obligations from the past, even as more recent memories fade and disappear. Some seek to return to places where they once worked or to homes where they once lived.
According to the national Alzheimer’s Association, as many as 60 percent of people with the disease will wander and become lost at some point.
Dealing with dementia: From curative to compassionate care
Meredeth Rowe, a nurse and researcher at the University of Florida, conducted two studies including 718 people with dementia. Ninety-three died after wandering from private homes, boarding homes, nursing homes and assisted living centers.
The study showed 22 percent of those found dead were from assisted living facilities, a significant number because only a small percentage studied typically reside in such places. “There’s a significant over-representation of people who come from assisted living,” Rowe said.
Overall, she said, wandering is “really under-reported, and really under-researched.”
via Chapter 2: Wandering, and other signs of dementia, not always heeded — dailypress.com.
Posted on February 19, 2009 | No Comments | Category: Wandering |
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