BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Wandering is one of the most common behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and associated with some of the adverse outcomes in dementia, such as getting lost or even death. The etiology of wandering is not yet clearly known. As depression and wandering are both very common among the patients with dementia, this study examined the relationship between the depression and wandering among the community dwelling patients with dementia. METHODS: Fifty community dwelling patients diagnosed with dementia were included in this study if they had primary family caregiver, older than age 18 in Seoul, South Korea. The Geriatric Depression Scale, Korean Version (GDS-K), Korean Version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) and Korean Version of Revised Algase Wandering Scale-Community Version (K-RAWS-CV) were used to measure the severity of depression, cognitive function and wandering. RESULTS: Thirty percents of the patients showed wandering. Mean score of GDS-K was significantly higher in wanderers than non-wanderers. Severity of depression was significantly correlated with the total score of K-RAWS-CV and subscales of persistent walking, repetitive walking, eloping behavior, and mealtime impulsivity in whole sample. K-MMSE score also was related to wandering behavior. The prevalence odds ratio for wandering in depressed patients compared with undepressed group was 8.386 (95% confidence interval: 1.978-35.561). CONCLUSIONS: This study implicates that not only cognitive impairment but also psychosocial aspects should be considered in wandering patients with dementia and suggests assessing the depression in patients would be helpful in identifying the causes of wandering.
Caregivers ; Dementia* ; Depression* ; Humans ; Impulsive Behavior ; Korea ; Meals ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Walking ; Wandering Behavior

PURPOSE: This study was to evaluate the effects of aromatherapy and foot reflex massage on emotion, sleep disturbance and wandering behavior in older adults with dementia. METHODS: This is a quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group. A total of 39 participants were divided into two groups. Aromatherapy and foot reflex massage was administrated to experimental group (N=19). There was no treatment for the control group (N=20). Data were analyzed using the SPSS/Win 18.0 program. RESULTS: Experimental group showed significant differences in emotion, sleep disturbance and wandering behavior in comparison to the control group. CONCLUSION: The results showed that aromatherapy and foot reflex massage program was effective on emotion, sleep and decreasing a wandering behavior in older adults with dementia. This research suggests that aromatherapy and foot reflex massage could be recommended as a nursing intervention for enhancing quality of life in older adults with dementia.
Adult ; Aromatherapy ; Dementia ; Foot ; Humans ; Massage ; Quality of Life ; Reflex ; Wandering Behavior

Etiological classification of a syndrome is most warranted. However, it is very difficult in the case of dementia because many research activities are still being made about the cause of degenerative dementias. In the current paper, clinical aspects and pathological findings were also con-sidered in the etiological classification. Prevalence and annual incidence of dementia are 5-15% and 1.5-2.0% in the elderly over 65, respectively. Old age, female sex, genetic background, lower education, ethnicity or geographical difference, and head trauma seem to be risk factors for developing dementia. Urinary and fecal incontinece, extrapyramidal symptoms, primitive reflexes, psychotic symptoms, and cognitive decline seem to adversely affect on the mortality, while social class, age at onset, depressive symptoms, aggressive behavior, wandering, increased appetite, increased sexual behaviors, and early diagnosis do not.
Aged ; Appetite ; Classification* ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Dementia* ; Depression ; Early Diagnosis ; Education ; Epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Reflex ; Risk Factors ; Sexual Behavior ; Social Class ; Wandering Behavior

PURPOSE: This study investigated various factors relatied to wandering behavior of Korean elders with dementia (KED). METHODS: A sample of 160 ambulatory residents with dementia from 14 long term care facilities was used to examine demographic, individual, cognitive, physical health, and environmental characteristics by comparing wanderers (N=108) to nonwanders (N=52). Subjects were evaluated by Korean versions of the Mini-mental State Exam (K-MMSE), the Physical and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (K-PIADL), and the Revised Algase Wandering Scale Nursing Home version (KRAWS-NH) along its six dimensions. Demographic and environmental data were also obtained. Independent sample ttests, Chi-square test, Fisher's Exact tests, and ANCOVAs were used to examine differences between wanderers and nonwanders. RESULTS: Wanderers were significantly (p<.05) older and had more limitations in K-PADL and K-IADL. The degree of overall wandering and certain features of wandering were significantly different (p<.05) by total number of residents in the facility, type of bedroom (i.e., "Ondol"), and color of bedroom and living-room walls (i.e., sky blue). CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study may be useful in understanding wandering behavior of KEDs and thus developing more culturally specific management strategies.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Dementia/*psychology ; Demography ; Female ; Homes for the Aged ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Homes ; *Wandering Behavior

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of multisensory stimulation (MSS) using familiarity on persons with dementia (PWDs) residing in nursing homes in Korea. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group with pre and posttests was used. Fifty one PWDs were included if they: 1) were over 65 yr old, 2) were diagnosed with dementia, 3) had no visual or speech impairments, 4) were able to communicate, and 5) had spent more than one month in a nursing home. The experimental group (n=25) received a 55 min MSS program twice a week for 10 weeks. The outcome variables included were cognition, activities of daily living, grip strength, depression, wandering, and aggressive behaviors. Repeated ANOVA was used for data analysis. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in demographics or the main variables at pretest. Cognition, depression, wandering, and aggressive behaviors were significant over time between the two groups. Grip strength was only significant when accounting for interaction between group and time. CONCLUSION: An intervention of MSS using familiarity was marginally effective in improving cognition, depression, wandering, and aggression. Future study is suggested with a larger sample and longer treatment to retest the effects of MSS.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aggression ; Analysis of Variance ; Cognition ; Dementia/*nursing/psychology ; Demography ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Long-Term Care ; Male ; Program Evaluation ; *Recognition (Psychology) ; Republic of Korea ; Wandering Behavior