Try: Wandering can occur in care recipients crs with dementia the following are possible causes of this behavior physiological or medical causes direct result of physical changes in brain inability to identify or express hunger reaction to sedatives tranquilizers or the interaction of medications physical discomfort due to pain infection constipation bruises seizures resulting in aimless confusing wandering need to use bathroom desire to exercise dehydration contributing to confusion ane wandering stress environmental causes temperature is uncomfortable too hot or too cold can’t make sense of the environment sensory overload too many people or activities or excessive noise sensory deprivation too quiet and bored poor lighting resulting in shadows which are misinterpreted or frightening feels closed in and trapped friend or family member out of sight desire to leave where one is that is triggered by seeing outdoor clothing such as coat hats boots etc getting lost sometimes crs with dementia suddenly begin losing their way to familiar places and become lost inability to recognize new and unfamiliar surroundings for example attending new day care program feels tension in the environment other causes task too difficult feels useless helpless while watching others do task inability to follow through on task bored with activity or lack of activity your anger tension or impatience is sensed your touching the cr is frightening or misinterpreted you are speaking too quickly directions from you are not understood the cr is searching for home or people from the past information references mace n & rabins p 1999 the 36-hour day baltimore the johns hopkins university press robinson a spencer b & white l 1992 understanding difficult behaviors ypsilanti mi eastern michigan university

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Categories: Behavior Challenging, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Dementia

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed