Can an Alzheimer's Patient Wander and Die?

Alzheimer's patients often wander and get lost. This behavior can happen at any time or at any stage of the disease. Just because they have never wandered before, doesn't mean they won't do it in the future. Wandering can sometimes result in death.The Alzheimer's Association estimates that 60 percent of persons living with Alzheimer's or a related dementia will wander.Think about it - 6 out of 10.I can assure you if your loved one wanders away, you cannot locate them, and they are lost to you, it can become one of the most horrible and terrifying experiences of your life.Imagine your heart pounding, a sense of hopelessness, no idea what to do, a state of total confusion.I know what it feels like because it happened to me.My Mother Living with Alzheimer's Wandered, and I was the one that was "scared to death"By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomWhen an Alzheimer's patient gets lost while wandering; and then, is found the caregiver or the family usually says,Well, they never wandered before.They are almost alwaysunaware that statistics show that Alzheimer's and dementia patients are prone to wandering. How many Alzheimer's patients wander each Year? The best guesstimate is about 125,000.Most cases of wandering never get reported.Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:What can happen.Consider these sobering statistics.Of those found within 12 hours, 93 percent survive. Seven percent don't.Of those lost more than 24 hours, only a third survive.Of those lost more than 72 ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's wandering statistics alzheimers wandering education how to prevent wandering learning wandering tips Source Type: blogs