Alzheimer’s disease causes someone to become disoriented, which can lead to wandering. If the patient can stand and walk reasonably, he or she will tend to wander.
Wandering or getting lost is common among people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. This behavior can happen at any stage of the disease even at the early stage.
There are several reasons why an Alzheimer’s patient might wander from home. He or she may feel fear or stress, might be searching for something, feel bored, want to go to the bathroom or think that they still do the things that they normally used to do (such as going to work).
Wandering isn’t necessarily a thing to be concerned about if the patient wanders at a secure and controlled area. However, this behavior can be dangerous and may raise safety concerns. A patient who wanders alone might easily get confused, lost or disoriented. They may not remember their names or recall where they come from. A wandering Alzheimer’s patient may have lost a sense of what’s going on around him and her. This leaves the patient exposed to a high risk of accidents, extreme weather, and climate conditions, or other hazards.
Door alarms are one of the ways to keep your loved ones safe from wandering out of the house or nursing care facility.
How does a door alarm work?
An anti-wandering door alarm consists of a door monitor bar and a wristband. The door monitor bar features a magnetic strip and is usually mounted near the door. The wristband features a small transmitter and is worn by the patient or resident.
When the patient or resident wearing the wristband attempts to wander towards the doorway, the wristband triggers the door monitor bar to sound an alarm and emit a flashing light. The caregiver or health care staff, who responds to the alert, can silence the alarm using the Caregiver Key.
The following lists the components that make up an anti-wandering door alarm system:
1. Anti-Wandering Door Monitor Bar
One of the prominent features of an anti-wandering door alarm system is the door monitor bar. It is usually installed next to the door. The door bar is paired with a wristband, which the patient wears. When the patient wanders towards the doorway, the wristband triggers the door monitor bar to sound an alarm and flash a warning light.
2. Patient Wristband Transmitter
The Patient Wristband Transmitter is worn by the patient. It is paired with the door monitor bar which sets off an audible and visual alert to notify the caregiver that the patient attempts to wander towards the doorway.
The Magnetic Contact Switch is usually installed to a door and door frame to detect any attempts of opening. When the patient opens the door, the connection is broken and the wristband that the patient wears will trigger the door bar alarm to set off an audible and visual alert.
4. Wireless Anti-Wandering Door Exit Alarm Reset Button
This feature allows the responding caregiver or health care staff to quickly reset the alarm before attending to the patient’s needs.
5. Wired Anti-Wandering Door Exit Alarm System Reset Keypad
This feature also works pretty much in the same way as the Wireless Anti-Wandering Door Exit Alarm Reset Button, allowing the caregiver or health care staff to quickly reset the alert right at the door being monitored.
All of the components that make up the anti-wandering door alarm system have met industry standards. They are tested at periodic intervals to make sure that all of them function properly.
You may buy the individual components, or better yet, buy the entire Anti-Wandering Single Door Alarm System where all of the parts come in one package.
