People with dementia wander from their homes are likely reliving an episode in their past and special care is needed to prevent tragedy, says a local dementia consultant.
Karen Tyrell, who wrote the book Cracking the Dementia Code and recently published a colouring book for dementia sufferers, said wandering is a common issue but difficult to deal with.
"When caregivers contact me and say, 'I have a mom that's getting lost. What do I do?' I start to find the reason why they're wandering," Tyrell says.
She supports the Noh family, whose father went missing in 2013. On Saturday, Sept. 17, the family is hosting a walk for Shin Noh, beginning at Eagle Ridge United Church.
Tyrell said there are many reasons people with dementia leave the comforts of home to wander. Sometimes, the dementia sufferer doesn't recognize the home they are living in because it's not where they grew up or raised their children; sometimes, they want to leave because of chores or a job they used to do.
Tyrell recommends using "therapeutic reasoning" to reduce anxiety, such as agreeing with the loved one while giving a reasonable explanation about why they don't have to leave — i.e., it's Sunday, so they don't need to go to work.
For those at risk of wandering, Tyrell said, there are also new technological solutions coming on the market that could be used to track a missing person.
But no one solution is the answer and Tyrell said families need to be prepared to use multiple strategies to protect their love ones.
"We need to be prepared if we're starting to notice symptoms of wandering or signs that they're getting lost. It's time to put ourselves on high alert and we have to start gathering the facts as to why they're trying to leave so we can be prepared for the future with some solutions."
• The third annual Walk for Shin Noh set for Saturday, Sept. 17, starting at 9 a.m. at Eagle Ridge United Church. The event is held to raise awareness about Alzheimer's, a disease that affects a person's ability to think, remember and communicate, and to get support for BC Silver Alert, a social media program to alert the community when vulnerable people such as those with dementia or autism go missing.
