David Rittenhouse is tackling dangerous wandering behaviour amongst people with cognitive disabilities. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Project Lifesaver of Greater Victoria, a public safety program.
His mission is to develop solutions to keep seniors and others living with chronic conditions safe while able to maintain their independence and dignity.
How do you help people living with Alzheimers and dementia-related conditions?
I help provide family caregivers with information about technological options. I do this through Connected Independence. It provides unbiased information on monitoring and communication technology solutions. This technology keeps mature adults at home safe, connected and independent.
As a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA), I understand the processes of aging. The ageing process influences the health, social and financial considerations of mature Canadians.
What is “wandering behaviour”?
Wandering behavior is a common for people Alzheimer’s disease. At least 60% of people with Alzheimer’s have a tendency to wander.
People with Dementia have diminished mental capacity, and therefore can get into dangerous situations. There have been many cases of people or walking out into traffic, drowning, injury or even death.
It’s also important to note there are many types of wandering behaviour:
● aimless wandering
● purposeful wandering
● night-time wandering
● industrious wandering
Currently 500,000 Canadian have Alzheimer’s, which will increase to 1-1.3 million Canadians in the next 10 years. With those statistics, the prevalence of wandering only increase.
Alzheimer’s can be very tough on family caregivers, especially those belonging to the “sandwich generation”. These people are raising children while caring for an aging parent still living in their own homes.
Balancing the person with dementia’s right to freedom and a caregivers responsibility to ensure their loved-one is safety at all times is a high wire act.
How can you manage wandering behaviour?
Wanderers must be diagnosed by qualified medical professional.
Boredom causes wandering behaviour. Ensuring the person can participate in appropriate physical and mental activities in a safe monitored environment is key.
In terms of wander location technology, there is public safety program called Project Lifesaver that uses electronic tracking technology to quickly locate someone with dementia.
2800 lives were saved by Project Lifesaver which is available Surrey, White Rock and Richmond and is administered by the Surrey Search and Rescue Society.
The Alzheimer’s Society of Canada website provides caregivers with valuable resources to better understand the causes or triggers for wandering: www.alzheimer.ca
What should you consider when choosing a caregiver for someone who wanders?
There are a number of questions you should be asking a provider:
For example, does the care company provide opportunities for their clients to go on supervised outings to parks or shopping? are there in-home activities?
In terms of home care services, choosing a company that specializes in dementia care is crucial, because the care requirements are different with dementia.
