Is Your Senior Mom Wandering?
Caring for your elderly mom can be a lot of work especially if they are determined to age in place. Luckily, there are tons of professionals who can help you and your mom on this last journey through life. Elder care can help ensure your mom has companionship during the day when you are at work and ensure she remains safe. This can provide a good sense of ease and lift some stress off of your shoulders. If you start to notice your elderly mom is wandering around it is absolutely time to consider elder care. But how can they stop this behavior? Is there anything you can do? Here are some things to consider when your mom is found wandering around the neighborhood.
What Does it Mean to Wander?
Typically, when you think of wandering seniors you may picture someone with Alzheimer’s but the truth is it can take place in any form of Dementia and sometimes seniors just forget things as they age without having one of these diseases. Your mom may be walking around and forgetting what she is doing in and out of the house. If neighbors start to catch her in the middle of the night or others are concerned about her behaviors it may be time for some more help. Elder care is typically really good at keeping an eye on your loved one and can help spot signs of wandering.
How can Elder Care Help?
When you hire elder care, their goal is to ensure a senior is safe while aging in place. This means they will want to reduce the amount of wandering that happens. Elder care may already have their own tactics but if you are looking for ways to help these may be your solution.
- Create a Routine – One of the best things elder care can do is to help a senior create a routine. This will help seniors wander less because they know they will have somewhere to be at a certain time. At some point, a senior’s body will just know where it should be because of muscle memory. Ensure a senior’s routine is filled with safe spaces and people who will watch and support your elderly mom.
- Look at Basic Needs – When basic needs are met like finding food and water a senior may wander less. If they go out looking for specific things it may be because they aren’t getting what they need at home. Ensuring that a senior has everything they need can be a huge safety measure for many reasons.
- Avoid Busy Areas – Your elderly mom should still be going out to do things. However, elder care should ensure your loved one is not going to super busy events. They will want to keep an eye on your mom so they don’t get lost or start wandering around in public.
- Encourage IDs – In case of emergencies, your loved one should always carry a form of ID or identification. This means that if they do wander and get lost someone will be able to tell who they are. These IDs usually have an address as well which can help your loved one get home.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Elder Care in Glenwood, MN, please contact the caring staff at Alternative Senior Care today.
Providing Home Care in Central Minnesota and Surrounding Communities. Call us today at (320) 352-3350
Lainie recalled her favorite subject in school was Home Economics,
“I always loved cooking, cleaning, organizing the home, and caregiving; all the things we do best at Alternative Senior Care!”
"I’ve learned a lot from my experiences for the past 30 years, caregiving for seniors, children and family members. Being a part of Alternative Senior Care is a privilege for me because I feel every day is an opportunity to find ways to bless others, especially in my own community. Overseeing our day-to-day operations at Alternative Senior Care, allows me to make sure our values and mission statement is implemented in all that we do to make each client feel safe, comfortable, and cared for in their own home. “
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