My mother has Alzheimer's and is at the point she's up roaming. I'm not getting any sleep. What to do?

anonymous52412, she is not wandering because she isn't getting enough activity. She is not wandering because she is not on effective meds. She is not wandering because she watches too much television. All those issues are worth addressing, but the fact is that she is wandering because that is a symptom of her disease.

You can try to minimize it. You certainly need to try to keep her safe in spite of it. But basically you have to accept it is part of Alzheimer's. Sorry.

If there were an effective way to stop this wandering behavior, there would be little need for secure "memory care units" in assisted living and nursing homes. One of the quite pleasant and communicative guys in my mother's nh could still do his adls but tended to wander right out of the building. One day in the dining room he showed everyone his ankle bracelet intended to keep track of him. It was hard to tell whether he was bragging or complaining. A few weeks later he wasn't around anymore and we learned he was "upstairs" in the dementia unit. Apparently the bracelet wasn't sufficient to keep him safe.

If professionals need round-the-clock supervision and a secure facility to keep wandering dementia patients safe, don't be hard on yourself if you are having a hard time doing it in a private home, all alone.

(I think the caregiver not getting enough sleep is one of the top if not the top reason for placing dementia patients in care centers.)

My mom would wake me up 12 times a night to use the bathroom. Which each one involved a 20 minute ordeal. After three years I decided she needed to go In her bed. I bought a very comfortable 4,000 bed and put railings up and put her on temazapan. She got used to urinating in her diaper and sleeps thru the night without residue. No chance of fall. I give it to her when she is already in bed along with her antidepressants which have a tiny bit of sedation as well. Wakes up same time everyday very happy.

Be aware of all the stimulants she may be eating to keep her awake at night i.e. chocolate, coffee, etc. Even a high protein dinner will give her more energy. Try one tablespoon honey, one tablespoon apple cider vinegar (mixed together) and drink about one hour before bedtime. You can also try melatonin (OTC and inexpensive). Do not nap during the day or she won't sleep at night. Also, get double locks on the doors, and you hide the key so she cannot get outside. I once put a mattress on the floor for my mother (with dementia) and she slept next to our bed. It seemed to be comforting. Try anything that works so you can get some sleep. You cannot be a caregiver if you need caregiving.

this was the situation that pushed my family over the edge. Good luck

This drove me over the edge also. I nicknamed my husband "wide awake Willie". He had vascular dementia and was a great risk for falling. A door alarm isn't really going to help because you still have to wake up to deal. I got a bed alarm that chimed when he sat up. I still had to deal, but at least I could get to him before a fall. Ultimately his doctor put him on trazadone and that really helped. The doctor made sure I knew the med doubled the risk of falling but I countered with it should help decrease the chance since he isn't wandering. He has passed now and I must admit it was a relief when he could no longer get out of bed alone.
All alarm products can be found on line. Good luck!

Set up a card table with a puzzle on it in her room. Get books from the library to read and magazines for her to look at until she feels calm and sleepy again. Get her a diary to write in..... hook rug, cross word puzzle book.....

Hi,
Thank you. My mother just went to the doctor for her 3 month check up. No UTI and she is on anxiety meds and they recently increased her antidepressant. Her caregiver during the day is to have her exercise and do activities with her. I've asked her to keep her away from the tv all day as she can't follow the shows and she needs to stay active.

I am dealing with the same issue right now. Doors are bolted at the top so she cannot leave the house, gate is at the steps, a bedside commode is in her room so she does not have to leave, and, the doctor just increased her Melatonin to 10mg. I have a chime attached to her door and I am up the second it goes off so that I can usher her back into her room and into bed. No, I get no sleep and my mother is on a waiting list for a nursing home. I have come to realize that this is Alzheimers and this is the way it will be until she is bed bound or goes into longterm care. Find respite care occasionally for your own mental health until you can find a permanent solution. Good luck.

I have alarms on all my doors. Thank you, debdaughter. I'm about to put a chime on my mom's bedroom door also and I have a baby monitor set up.

It's tough when they don't sleep, at least when my mom went through that phase she could no longer get up on her own, so when I was desperate for sleep I just used earplugs. You say she is already on meds, it may be that they need to be tweaked a bit or changed. We also found melatonin to be helpful, you can start with a very small dose, 2-3 mg.