Patients living with dementia who ‘walk with purpose or intent’ in the COVID-19 crisis

This review looked at how to manage care home residents with dementia who ‘walk with purpose or intent’ such that infection prevention measures are not breached during an epidemic such as COVID-19.

Overview of findings

The British Geriatric Society (BGS) gives clear guidance during the COVID-19 crisis on the approach of care home staff for residents with dementia who ‘walk with purpose or intent’. This guidance focuses on isolation of suspected cases and behavioural approach to ameliorating potential unsafe activities of residents.

Further guidance by Twaites & Marshall and by the British Psychological Society’s Faculty of the Psychology of Older People (FPOP) describes in more detail primary preventative and secondary reactive behavioural approaches that can be used to care for residents during the COVID-19 outbreak.

These documents have been developed using expert opinion and experience supported by a broad perspective of the evidence in this field and are consistent with the person-centred approach to dementia care.

Citing this report

This report should be cited as:

Huntley, A., Cheston, R., Corse, D.  and Munafo, J. Patients living with dementia who ‘walk with purpose or intent’ in the COVID-19 crisis. 22 April 2020. Available from: https://arc-w.nihr.ac.uk/research-and-implementation/covid-19-response/patients-living-with-dementia-who-walk-with-purpose-or-intent-in-the-covid-19-crisis/