Affiliations: [a] Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands | [b] Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, University Hospital Maastricht, University of Maastricht European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), PO Box 5800, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands | P.O. Box 7167 Majorstua, 0307 Oslo, Norway
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Sascha Rasquin PhD., Institute for Rehabilitation Research, PO Box 192, 6430 AD Hoensbroek, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 45 5237570; Fax: +31 45 5231550; E-mail: s.rasquin@irv.nl.
Abstract: Due to problems with memory and orientation, people with dementia can wander and easily get lost. Most interventions for getting lost or wandering have in common that they restrict the patient. This is unnecessary when suitable devices, such as technological systems could be used. The objectives of this pilot field study were: 1)To identify different possibilities for preventing getting lost or solving the problems of wandering behaviour in patients with dementia. 2) To determine what functional specifications a system requires to support the problems due to getting lost or wandering in patients with dementia. 3) To put one selected form of technical support into practice and to find out whether this system was experienced as effective. The main findings are that both informal and professional caregivers of patients with dementia point out the need of support for the problems of getting lost or wandering in dementia. Technological systems in which GSM is combined with GPS, could be a solution to the problems encountered by getting lost and wandering behaviour. Patients who are in an early stage of dementia would profit the most of the technological devices.
Keywords: Wandering, dementia, global positioning system
