Best Dementia Wandering Products
Caring for people with dementia can be a challenge, especially if that person is prone to wandering. Whether they end up out in the world, or are simply roaming around the house, they're at serious risk of falls or other accidents. In both professional and home care environments, preventative measures are essential, and help avoid stressful and frightening situations.
In this Best Dementia Wandering Products guide, we go over some brilliant dementia care items that our customers love. Each product is designed to help avoid specific wandering scenarios, so you can find the most appropriate items for you.
What Does This Guide Cover?
- Our Best Dementia Wandering Alarms:
- Reducing Injury In Case of a Fall:
- Looking for a Full Fall and Wandering System?
- What Else Can You Do to Help Prevent Wandering?
Best Dementia Chair Pressure Mat
Winner: Wireless Care Alarm Kit with Chair Leaving Sensor Mat
Why We Love It...
✔ Lets carers know immediately if a patient leaves or falls out of chair
✔ Small sensor pad fits comfortably and seamlessly on most chairs
✔ Receiver is wireless so a carer can always carry it with them
Not The Best For...
✘ Monitoring a larger surface area like a bed (See our solution)
Customer Verdict: "A fantastic product. Very quick and easy to set up and it has been a great help in keeping my 95 year old father safe. His carer can now leave him sitting in his chair while she does jobs and know instantly if he has stood up. It has saved him from falling many times already and we have only had it a couple of weeks." Stephanie ★★★★★
Best Dementia Bed Pressure Mat
Winner: Nutrix Wireless Care Alarm Kit with Large Bed Leaving Sensor Mat
Why We Love It...
✔ Lets carers know immediately if a patient leaves or falls out of bed
✔ Design fits under patients back and can be used in nearly any bed
✔ Receiver is wireless with wristband so a carer can always carry it with them
Not The Best For...
✘ Protecting a patient from harm if they do fall (See our solution)
Customer Verdict: "This sensor mat is really Brilliant. My mother gets out of bed during the night and this alarm let's me get to her before the possible of her having a fall." David ★★★★★
Best Dementia Floor Pressure Mat
Winner: Floor Pressure Mat Wander Alarm With Pager and Transmitter
Why We Love It...
✔ Huge 120m range so can be placed in most beneficial position in home
✔ Can be hidden under a rug or carpet for more discrete home care
✔ Wireless receiver is fantastic for busy, professional home care settings
Not The Best For...
✘ Keeping track of patients if they don't trip the alarm (See our solution)
Customer Verdict: "Purchased this for my husband who has dementia and wonders a lot in the night. It alerts me when he is out if bed so I can reassure him and tuck him in again. Simple to set up and can hear it just on vibration or vibration and low level alarm bearing in mind I am quite deaf." Patricia ★★★★★
Best Dementia GPS Tracker
Winner: Medpage GPS Location Tracker Watch Phone with Fall Detection
Why We Love It...
✔ SOS fall alarm has precise mapping location so patient for safety
✔ Blood pressure and heart rate monitoring, plus medication reminders
✔ Battery lasts for 7 - 10 days to so it won't lose charge in an emergency
Not The Best For...
✘ Physical protection in event of fall (See our solution)
Editor's Verdict: As well as being a tracker and SOS fall alarm, this Medpage watch is also a phone. This allows carers or loved ones to call the wearer in the event of wandering, to talk to them or someone that has found them. It's also a versatile care device with blood pressure and heart rate monitoring, along medication reminders
Best Dementia Alarm for Doors and Windows
Winner: Wireless Door and Window Security Alarm with Radio Pager Kit
Why We Love It...
✔ Fixed next to doors or windows to notify when they've been opened
✔ Three notification settings: high volume, low volume and vibration
✔ 100m transmission range and a massive 6 months of battery life
Not The Best For...
✘ Preventing accidents within a room (See our solution)
Customer Verdict: "Peace of Mind - This product is exactly what I needed. My father has dementia and can become confused at night. I now know instantly if he leaves his bedroom...so I can get a good nights sleep". Lorraine ★★★★★
Best Dementia Motion Sensor
Winner: Alerta Detect Motion Sensor and Wall Point Wireless Receiver
Why We Love It...
✔ Infrared PIR sensor detects body movement without physical contact
✔ Allows for greater patient freedom than floor pressure mats
✔ Powered by either mains or battery and connects to nurse call system
Not The Best For...
✘ A higher level of precaution (See our solution)
Editor's Verdict: Offering an alternative to pressure mats, this infrared sensor detects patient movement without them having to physically trigger it. It offers greater freedom than a mat as it allows patients to get out of bed or move around the room without triggering an alarm, as long as they don't cross the sensor beam threshold.
Reducing Injury In Case of a Fall
Best Dementia Crash Mat
Winner: Harvest High Density Foam Crash Mat
Why We Love It...
✔ High density foam ensures a cushioned landing in case of bed falls
✔ Waterproof and vapour-permeable cover ideal for incontinent patients
✔ Gives both patients and carers greater peace of mind when unsupervised
Not The Best For...
✘ Alerting carers before a patient falls (See our solution)
Editor's Verdict: Ideally, if you use a bed pressure mat, a patient won't fall out of bed. However, in the time it takes for a carer to reach a patient, accidents can happen and it's important to be prepared. This high density foam mat offers fantastic cushioning to help avoid falls, which can be extremely dangerous for elderly patients.
Best Dementia Hip Protector
Winner: Safehip AirX Hip Pad Hip Protector Underwear
Why We Love It...
✔ Wearable fall protection, not limited by location like a crash mat
✔ Breathable and elastane build offers long-lasting comfort
✔ Designed to be discreet and fit easily under regular clothes
Not The Best For...
✘ Protecting other parts of the body in case of falls (See our solution)
Editor's Verdict: Hip injuries can be particularly debilitating for elderly people, especially those with dementia who might find rehab tricky. These underwear offer wearable hip protection that dementia sufferers can take with them wherever they go.
Looking for a Full Fall and Wandering System?
The mats, sensors and protective equipment above are great, especially for smaller scale, or home care environments. But if you're looking after multiple patients with dementia or other memory issues, you might want to consider a more comprehensive system like the Alerta Wireless Full Fall and Wander Alarm System.
Why We Love It...
✔ Incredibly comprehensive system for maximum patient safety
✔ Wireless receiver links to all five transmitters at the same time
✔ Includes 3 pressure sensors, a electric crash mat and a call button
Not The Best For...
✘ Smaller rooms or spaces (See our solution)
Editor's Verdict: Perfect for professional care environments, or for extra-safe home care, this six-item bundle hugely reduces the chances of dementia wandering accidents. The receiver monitors all five sensors at the same time and can differentiate which one has been activated, so a carer knows exactly where they are needed.
What Else Can You Do to Help Prevent Wandering?
To help prevent the worst case scenario, here are some simple steps you can take:
- Create a Routine - Having a concrete daily plan can help to prevent the restlessness that often leads to wandering. If your loved one is occupied with getting through their day, the risk of distraction can be greatly reduced.
- Ensure Needs are Met - Wandering is often triggered by a need to find water, food or go to the bathroom. If you make it safe and easy for your loved one to achieve these simple goals, it can go a long way to keeping them happy and relaxed.
- Have an Action Plan - If wandering does occur, make sure you're prepared. Ensure your loved one has an ID on them at all times, keep a recent photo and updated medical information on hand, and contact emergency services as soon as possible.
Need More Help Selecting A Dementia Wandering Product?
The alarms and other products we've talked about are some of our favourites, tried and trusted by our customers, but we understand everyone's care situation can be different. If you still haven't found what you're looking for, why not have a look at the rest of our Anti-Wander Alarm range.
Whether you're looking to make a professional care home safer, or just give a loved one a bit of peace mind, we're sure we have something for you!
Do you have any questions about our products to prevent dementia wandering, or something to add? Share your thoughts below or contact us on Facebook and Twitter.
Tags: Alarms and Alerts, Care Support, Dementia, Wandering
My mother has dementia and we need to get a floor mat as she is falling. Do you supply to ireland
Hi Marie,
I'm sorry to hear about your mother, hopefully something like the Fall Alarm with Voice Alert mentioned above will be able to help.
To answer your question, we do deliver to Ireland. This will usually incur an extra £10 delivery fee.
If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Kind regards,
Eugene at Health and Care