Risk assessment of wandering behavior in mild dementia

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Wandering is a common behavior in individuals with mild dementia, leading to significant adverse consequences.
• Adverse consequences include falls, fractures, injuries, and elopement, posing risks to patient safety and caregiver burden.
• Identifying predictors of these wandering-related events is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine risk factors for adverse consequences of wandering in community-dwelling individuals with mild dementia.
• To investigate predictors of negative outcomes of wandering, such as falls and injuries.
• To identify factors associated with eloping behavior in this population.

Main Methods:

• Prospective longitudinal study of 143 dyads of persons with mild dementia and their caregivers.
• Assessment of wandering-related adverse consequences using the Revised Algase Wandering Scale - Community Version.
• Measurement of personality, stress response, gait, balance, wayfinding ability, and neurocognitive functions; statistical analysis using bivariate and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• 49% of participants experienced falls, fractures, or injuries due to wandering; 43.7% exhibited eloping behaviors.
• Persistent walking (OR=2.6) and poor gait (OR=0.9) predicted negative wandering outcomes.
• Persistent walking (OR=13.2) and passivity (OR=2.55) predicted eloping behavior; no correlation with demographics, health status, or neurocognition.

Conclusions:

• Persistent walking and poor gait are significant predictors of adverse wandering outcomes and elopement in mild dementia.
• These findings underscore the need for early identification of at-risk individuals.
• Developing targeted interventions is crucial to mitigate risks and improve safety for community-dwelling persons with dementia.