Centre for Policy on Ageing



Getting lost in dementia: a longitudinal study of a behavioral symptom
Author(s)	Rupert McShane, Kathy Gedling, Janet Keene
Journal title	International Psychogeriatrics, vol 10, no 3, September 1998
Pages	pp 253-260
Keywords	Dementia ; Wandering ; Living in the community ; Institutional accommodation ; Longitudinal surveys ; United Kingdom.
Annotation	The occurrence of episodes of getting lost was examined in 104 subjects with dementia who were assessed every four months over 5 years. All subjects were initially living at home with a caregiver who could give good information. Forty-three subjects needed to be brought back home at least once. Five subjects repeatedly got lost. Forty-six subjects were kept behind locked doors at some point. Subjects who got lost were more likely to become permanently resident in institutions. Individuals who performed better in behavioural tests of topographical memory were less likely to get lost over the subsequent 5 years. The risk of patients with dementia getting lost is substantial and requires frequent intervention by caregivers. This risk is a major reason for institutionalisation. The authors suggest that a simple test may help in assessing the risk of getting lost in patients with dementia. (AKM).
Accession Number	CPA-981120403 A
Classmark	EA: EPC: K4: KV: 3J: 8
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.