Philip gets bored. It’s not something he’s ever complained about before. But three years since being diagnosed with dementia, boredom is the word of the day.
“At first, we worried about his boredom all the time. We tried card games, outings, group activities. What we didn’t realize was that boredom is the name my dad gives to the restlessness that comes with dementia,” Samantha says. “The other thing we didn’t know was how that could increase his risk of falling.”
That’s an outcome she’s relived 100 times in her mind’s eye over the last few weeks. Samantha was on route to pick her dad up for a visit to his favourite lunch spot in Oakville. He grew impatient and agitated before abruptly setting out on his own. Leaving his cane behind, Philip quickly exhausted himself and became disoriented in the hot sun of a late summer day. Eventually, he collapsed.
“We searched all of the streets surrounding his home for about half an hour before eventually finding him, lying limp on a back lawn,” remembers Samantha. “I cannot get that image out of my mind.”
Now, Philip is recovering from three broken ribs. Samantha is working through nightmares that wake her in the early morning hours, and putting new guardrails in place to keep her dad secure.
“We need much more supervision than we thought,” Samantha says. “My dad can’t make sound decisions about what he’s capable of anymore. So we’re adapting his care plan to reflect this new stage in his dementia.”
Seniors living with dementia more likely to experience a fall
By the numbers, falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations and injury-related deaths among Canadians aged 65 or older. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, seniors with dementia have a higher risk of falls, in long-term care and the community, compared to other seniors. For example, some 16% of hospital admissions by seniors living with dementia are related to a fall. That numbers falls to just with just 7% among other seniors.
“Falls are often the reason a family will call to ask us about senior caregiving support,” says Timon Page, General Manager, TheKey Toronto. He leads a team of caregivers serving seniors across the Greater Toronto Area. “We field a lot of calls about helping a senior recuperate after a fall, or the related injury and hospital stay. We also get questions about fall prevention and how more supervision and companionship might help.”
In Page’s experience, that last part is key. Prevention, particularly for those living with dementia, is so important. “Every time we start a new caregiving relationship, we bring fresh eyes and perspective to identify hazards or mobility challenges that might up the possibility of a fall.”
Through regular caregiving, Page’s team also builds relationships with clients. This helps them understand how a person’s physical capabilities might be changing and what else might be done to help prevent a fall.
“Memory loss is the symptom we most commonly associate with dementia,” adds Page. “But people with dementia are also more likely to be coping with mobility and balance issues. Because they get restless, they tend to pace or wander. Those are high-risk behaviours for someone who may already be a bit disoriented. We use our Balanced Care MethodTM to continually evaluate emerging risks like these and proactively address issues that could increase the chance of a fall.”
In Samantha’s case, she’s working through the memory of her dad’s fall and making changes to his caregiver support schedule to keep him safe. It’s a step in the right direction. “Dad no longer leaves his residence alone, ever. That gives us great comfort and reduces our stress level so much. It’s helping him, and it’s helping me worry less, too.”