CLIENT CASE STUDY:
Wandering Together: A Caregiver’s Novel Approach
At Minute Women, our Alzheimer’s certified caregivers go beyond providing basic care—their mission is to form genuine connections that elevate our clients’ dignity and quality of life.
BACKGROUND
Minute Women received a call from an assisted living community in Newton concerning Susan, a resident with dementia. Susan’s frequent wandering within the dementia unit posed challenges as she often entered other residents’ apartments, causing disturbances and concerns for staff and residents alike.
CHALLENGE
Susan’s constant wandering—typical behavior in many dementia patients—became increasingly problematic and unmanageable. This presented a challenge for the assisted living community, which was prohibited from locking Susan in her room, and for Susan’s family, who desperately wanted to keep her safe and stable in her familiar environment. Minute Women were asked to provide help in monitoring Susan’s movements to prevent her from entering unauthorized areas. However, Susan’s defensive behavior and unpredictable walking patterns made this type of supervision difficult.
SOLUTION
Minute Women devised a tailored dementia care plan to accompany Susan during her walks, ensuring she remained within permissible areas of the assisted living community. Despite the challenges of maintaining proximity without causing distress to Susan, caregivers remained vigilant to intervene if Susan attempted to enter unauthorized spaces.
Recognizing the physical demands of the task, Minute Women split the shifts and provided detailed expectations to caregivers to manage Susan’s active behavior effectively.
OUTCOME
Despite the challenging nature of the case, Minute Women remained committed to Susan’s well-being, caring for her for over the course of a year and ultimately facilitating a smooth transition to a community better equipped to meet her needs. Susan and her family found solace in the assistance provided by Minute Women, which provided continuity and safety during a turbulent time.