A tracking device tracks him, period. It doesn't keep him out of harm. So he's wearing the device, and he hightails it down the road, and where are you? He could walk into a canal in the time it takes you to receive the signal and get there. Or get hit by a car, since drivers aren't normally looking for old men who wander out of the shrubbery in a residential neighborhood after dark. Rethink this one.
Wandering can often be the straw that broke the camels back as it becomes just to dangerous for the person with dementia to remain at home. We just recently had a story in our local news about an elderly woman with dementia who was living with her daughter and who wandered out of the house one evening after everyone else was in bed. It took 6 days for the police to find her dead body not far from home. You are now at the pint where you MUST do whatever it takes to keep your husband safe, and that just may mean placing him in a Memory Care facility. I wish you well.
Wandering is one of those watershed moments in dementia care. Most “solutions” are after the fact; after the door has opened, after he’s out of bed, after he’s left the house. If we could only be proactive in preventing or anticipating wandering instead of being reactive. Some suggest a black rug in front of the door to prevent him from leaving, others suggest a slippery covering over the doorknob, or even a simple sliding lock high on the door. You may try these, they may work. On the other hand, not being able to get out could cause him some anxiety or frustration in not being able to leave, especially if he’s leaving in response to a delusion he’s having where he must get out. Being out by himself, especially at night, leaves him vulnerable to any number of bad experiences. And don’t leave him alone in the car for even a minute. You may find him gone when you return.
The possibility of my wife getting out of bed and trying to get out of the house kept me from ever getting a decent night’s sleep. After she left thru the window one day, I secured both the doors and windows- a very unsafe thing to do. Her wandering, my lack of sleep, and my constant hyper anxiety led me to realize I needed to start looking for memory care.
So you may try one of the methods mentioned above, they might work. It’s possible, also, that this phase of his symptoms may pass. I would suggest, however, that you begin to consider placement in a MC facility if the wandering and other behaviors become too much for you.
Lilla9, so sorry you are going through this along with your own health issues.
Yes, get a tracking device [others on the forum will give suggestions] BUT also consider ways to keep hubby from leaving the house. Is his wandering during the day or night? If at night, I read if you place a black throw-rug at the exit doors he may think the rug is a hole in the floor, thus will not try to step on it. Take the rug away at day break.
To alert you that hubby has opened the door, I have on the inside door handle sleigh bells that jingle quite loud, have had them for years just for security. There are also door alarms, but that might scare him into running out the front door.
We just recently had a story in our local news about an elderly woman with dementia who was living with her daughter and who wandered out of the house one evening after everyone else was in bed. It took 6 days for the police to find her dead body not far from home.
You are now at the pint where you MUST do whatever it takes to keep your husband safe, and that just may mean placing him in a Memory Care facility.
I wish you well.
The possibility of my wife getting out of bed and trying to get out of the house kept me from ever getting a decent night’s sleep. After she left thru the window one day, I secured both the doors and windows- a very unsafe thing to do. Her wandering, my lack of sleep, and my constant hyper anxiety led me to realize I needed to start looking for memory care.
So you may try one of the methods mentioned above, they might work. It’s possible, also, that this phase of his symptoms may pass. I would suggest, however, that you begin to consider placement in a MC facility if the wandering and other behaviors become too much for you.
Yes, get a tracking device [others on the forum will give suggestions] BUT also consider ways to keep hubby from leaving the house. Is his wandering during the day or night? If at night, I read if you place a black throw-rug at the exit doors he may think the rug is a hole in the floor, thus will not try to step on it. Take the rug away at day break.
To alert you that hubby has opened the door, I have on the inside door handle sleigh bells that jingle quite loud, have had them for years just for security. There are also door alarms, but that might scare him into running out the front door.
Hope you can find something that helps.