Mum leaves the house alone. We have only gone out to get milk and we get back and she’s gone. So we got her a tracker it’s a life saver, we can track her on our phones. You put small batterie looking things in her shoes, her bag, and in her coats. Before this… we were constantly reporting her lost to the police…but now, we let her go on the rampage , it’s not ideal , she needs to walk for some reason, miles and miles . We can’t even get her in to the car when we have traced where she is. So we let her walk untill she’s ready to come home. Sometimes she’s been walking all day . We get her home, turn your back to make a cuppa and she’s off again. It is a risk letting her walk on her own ie crossing the roads. It’s tricky but what can we do. She just wants to be out. We take her out every day on long walks but she tells us basically to get lost. So tracking her is a god send… amazing piece of kit, honestly…
Mum goes on 25 mile walks, by her self.
- Thread starter Silvanaclark
- Start date
Hello @Silvanaclark and welcome to the forum, this is a supportive place with a lot of shared experience. I can't comment personally on the use of trackers but other members here have used them with varying levels of success. From what you have posted it does sound as though your mum walking so far on her own is a risk, but it's clearly a difficult situation for you to manage. I'm sure others may have some thoughts, but have you spoken to her GP about whether there may be some medication that could help, or perhaps tried to find someone who could go out walking with her so that she is not on her own?
Hello 💗
It definitely isn't ideal 🥹
Mum must be exhausted ... and you as well . It must be a constant source of worry and stress from accidents to not returning home or the tracking devices and watching those or worry over if they break down ....
It is a really dangerous situation for your mum and yourselves as well as other people on the roads/pavements. I think I would be in constant state of searching /following for her regardless of the tracking 😢
Yes. We walk with her every day . A family member. She’s had Alzhimers for 15 years now . We are all in our 60s ourselves . So can not keep up with her she is really fit .she’s 87.. when she escapes there is not a lot we can do. Police tell us that they can’t keep looking for her. So we had to get a tracker. We have tried locking her in but that resulted in her smashing the glass in the front door to get out. If any one stays the night she chucks us out and wants to know what we are doing her house. We have it under control at the moment . ….We have constant social services and doctors involved . But no one has any answers about the constant walking .
My mum would do this too, I was 300 miles away and had no idea this was happening until she got lost and was taken to hospital. She was not eating much and basically walking herself to an early grave. This was the start of confirming that my mum lacked mental capacity and following an assessment I moved her into full time care.
Forgive me if this is absolutely crazy, I’ve never had this exact sort of situation myself, but can she use a treadmill and would it help?
I suppose it depends how she is and whether it’s a desire to get away or she’s just genuinely full of the urge to exercise, but could her trundling 20 miles on a treadmill safe in the living room while you’re in the house be an option to get some energy out?
Alternatively, are there any disabled people’s exercise classes near you? My nan used to go to one regularly and it was mostly chair exercise but could be adapted for more physically fit people, there must be something for younger people with cognitive disabilities and maybe they could handle an older but physically fit dementia patient?
Usually when people with dementia keep on wanting to go out and walk, its not about exercise - usually its because they do not understand their confusion and think that its due to where they are living. So they want to go out all the time thinking that if they go somewhere else they will leave all their symptoms of dementia behind, not understanding that they will simply take it all with them
My mum, who lived alone, was a wanderer too. If prevented from leaving the house she would knock on the windows and scream for help. Despite her mid-stage dementia, she was very fit for her age and walked fast. And frequently got lost. We tried various trackers some of which we sewed into her clothes. Those trackers worked for a while and were probably life-saving on one or two occasions, when the family had to mount major retrieval missions. The trackers were most helpful in pinpointing her general location if she was outside, but don't work that well indoors in places like railway stations, shopping malls, etc. In those cases, help from security staff was needed to find her on CCTV systems.
Eventually she started to go out at night in the dark and this was part of the crisis stage when we realised (or admitted to ourselves) the danger she was really in.
Social workers helped us to find her a place in a decent care home and almost immediately the impetus to walk seemed to disappear. This might be because she feels safe, or maybe it's the care of experienced staff or the daily routine with all the activities they put on; whatever it is, she doesn't seem to feel the need to roam outside any more. She does wander about the home at night, but carers just lead her back to bed. The peace of mind the family has now is hard to explain, but absolutely precious.
Eventually she started to go out at night in the dark and this was part of the crisis stage when we realised (or admitted to ourselves) the danger she was really in.
Social workers helped us to find her a place in a decent care home and almost immediately the impetus to walk seemed to disappear. This might be because she feels safe, or maybe it's the care of experienced staff or the daily routine with all the activities they put on; whatever it is, she doesn't seem to feel the need to roam outside any more. She does wander about the home at night, but carers just lead her back to bed. The peace of mind the family has now is hard to explain, but absolutely precious.
Omg . You lot have made me cry . Thank you so much for your advice . We got her a reviver . It’s an excessive device . We’re you stand on it . It makes you feel like you’re walking . It cost £300. Nope ! That did not work . I think ! Maybe ! She’s Italian. And trying to walk back home lol. She’s been here in England for 69 years . We have taken her to Italy and visited her old house . Nope . That didn’t work either! She’s looking for us . Her kids. When we pick her up from her long walk . She says we’re are my children ? When we are all sitting in the car. Honestly. It’s so hard. I think her Alzhimers is unique …today we took her to que gardens ie nice day , long walk.. got home . She grabbed her bag and off she went. My brother followed her in the car! I did dinner. He got her back . We had food and then then. Guess what ? Off she went again. My turn to follow. Sleeping pills don’t work . Nothing works . She’s out. Out . Out . Loves a walk lol. If your Alzhimers patient stays in doors . Be greatfull. Lol 🥴
In her mind shes gone back in time and is thinking of you as young children, not as the adults you are now.
Just to say hello and welcome @HopingForTheBest to this friendly and supportive forum.
Thank you for your valuable input into this thread ; and I am glad your Mum is now well settled in a care home setting and you have more peace of mind because of it.
Oh! I just want to say as well . We don’t know what illness we will end up with. She has been on a diet of olive oil no meat really good healthy food for all her life . No smoking . Always walked any way all her life. This country has more Alzhimers than any other. She has 10 brothers and sisters in Italy . All similar age and all fit and well. I’m seriously thinking of retiring to a warmer climate with better food. 🤷♀️🤷♀️I don’t know. Could this be the reason lol the weather??? Who knows.
Similar threads
