Influence of perspectives on user adoption of wander-management strategies

Sixty-percent of Canadians with dementia will wander and become lost. Strategies, such as wall murals that camouflage doors, and locator devices, offer proactive options for keeping persons with dementia who wander safer. Information that describes available strategies to mitigate this issue is diverse and inconsistent, creating challenges for caregivers and persons living with dementia when choosing helpful strategies. This project aimed to describe the spectrum of risks and risk mitigation strategies associated with dementia-related wandering. Thirty-eight phone interviews from across Canada were conducted with stakeholders including persons with dementia, paid and family caregivers, health professionals, law enforcement, and Alzheimer societies. Interviewees were asked about strategies that they have used to manage dementia-related wandering, and how their perceptions of risk, culture, stigma and geographical location may influence strategy adoption. Overall, a wide range of high- and low-tech solutions were used or suggested by participants, and factors such as risk, culture, geography and stigma were considered essential elements to successful adoption of these strategies. Results from this study highlight the need for unique combinations of strategies based on the type of stakeholder and influencing factors involved.