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How to keep dementia patient from wandering
In the past month and a half, four individuals with dementia have been found dead in Georgia after wandering away from home, highlighting a common issue among dementia patients. FOX 5 Atlanta spoke to an expert with some tips to keep these loved ones safe.
There have been four people with dementia found dead in our area in about a month and a half, and it's more common than you may think.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, 6 out of 10 people with dementia will wander away from home. Experts say it can happen at any stage of the disease.
"I think there are more people that wander away than we realize," Dr. Cecil Bennett with Newnan Family Medicine Associates said.
Experts say dementia causes people to not be able to recognize familiar places, even their own home, which can cause them to wander away, and that can be life-threatening.
Albert "Al" Novotnak (Peachtree City Police Department)
On Friday, the body of 80-year-old Al Novotnak was found in a wooded area near his home in Peachtree City. He had been missing for five days and his family says he had disappeared earlier this month as well, but was found in a neighbor's garage.
Billie Coot Carmichael (South Fulton Police Department)
83-year-old Billie Carmichael was found dead on Dec. 18 after disappearing from his South Fulton home. Police say he lived alone.
Rosa Mae Dawson (Credit: DeKalb County Police Department)
On Dec. 4, 80-year-old Rosa Mae Dawson was found dead after her family says she disappeared from her home in Decatur three weeks earlier.
Patricia Miele (Credit: Marietta Police Department)
And on Nov. 11, 89-year-old Patricia Miele's body was found in a lake at Kennesaw Memorial Park less than a half-mile from the assisted living facility she wandered from just days before.
"Many times, patients with dementia sleep most of the day, so they become very active at night," Dr. Bennett said. "It's opposite for their family members."
"Basically, it's no restriction for them. If they have access to a door that they can get out of, they're going to leave," he added.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, many people who wander are found within a mile and a half of where they were last seen. They also enourage families to call 911 if they aren't found within 15 minutes.
From left to right: Rosa Mae Dawson, Al Novotnak, Billie Carmichael, Patricia Miele. (Photos submitted by family members)
Dr. Bennett said there are steps caregivers can take to keep loved ones safe.
"Things like locks where you need a key to open it from the inside will be very important. Having door alarms that chime if an individual gets up or tries to go outside, cameras, monitoring systems – these are all things that we can do proactively to prevent the person from getting out of the house to begin with," he explained.
If you or a loved one is in need of help caring for a loved one with dementia, you can find a list of resources here.