Dementia Friendly Newport

05/10/2026

20/09/2026

🚪 “I need to go home.”

When your loved one keeps heading for the door, trying to leave, or insisting they need to “go home,” simply telling them they can’t leave may increase frustration.

Exit-seeking in dementia can happen for many reasons.

They may be:

💜 Looking for a familiar person or place
💜 Trying to follow an old routine, such as going to work
💜 Restless or needing physical activity
💜 Bored or looking for something meaningful to do
💜 Anxious, frightened, or confused
💜 Hungry, thirsty, uncomfortable, or needing the bathroom
💜 Responding to something in the environment that suggests it’s time to leave

Instead of focusing only on stopping the behavior, look for what may be driving it.

Try these approaches:

💜 Acknowledge the feeling first.

Instead of:
❌ “You can’t go home. You live here.”

Try:
💬 “You really want to go home. Tell me about home.”

💜 Redirect to something meaningful.

Try a snack, familiar music, folding laundry, looking through photographs, or taking a supervised walk.

💜 Build movement into the day.

Safe opportunities for walking and activity may help when restlessness is contributing.

💜 Look for patterns.

Does it happen at the same time every afternoon? Before dinner? When the house becomes busy? When a particular caregiver leaves?

Tracking patterns can help uncover possible triggers.

💜 Make safety a priority.

Use appropriate door alerts or monitoring measures, keep identification information current, and make sure family members or caregivers have a plan in case the person leaves unexpectedly. Avoid measures that could prevent safe emergency exit.

And if exit-seeking begins suddenly or changes significantly, consider whether pain, illness, medication effects, or another medical issue may be contributing.

The goal isn't simply:

“How do I stop them from going out the door?”

A more useful question may be:

“What are they trying to find, do, or communicate?” 💜

📖 Exit-seeking and wandering are among the behaviors covered in my Dementia Care Behavior Guide.

It helps family caregivers explore:

Behavior → Possible Cause → What to Try First

With guidance for 101+ common and uncommon dementia behaviors, practical approaches, possible medical contributors, quick-reference information, and printable trackers.

👉 Tap the link in my bio and choose Dementia Care Behavior Guide.

16/09/2026

14/09/2026

💜 You love them. But some days, you’re tired of repeating yourself—and then you feel guilty for getting frustrated.

You’re human. Caregiving asks so much of you.

Let these tips be gentle reminders, not another list of things you must do perfectly.

Pause before responding.
Offer reassurance.
Encourage what they can still do.
Make room for connection without testing their memory.

You don’t have to get every conversation right to be a loving caregiver. A difficult moment doesn’t erase the care you give every day.

📖 Looking for support along the way? My Dementia Care Starter Guide brings together easy-to-understand information for families navigating dementia caregiving.

Explore it here: https://beacons.ai/dementiacareguides

💜 Save this reminder for the hard days—and share it with someone caring for a loved one.

08/09/2026

🌙 They were doing fine all day—so why does everything seem to change as evening approaches?The pacing begins. They ask to go home. They become anxious, restless, or more confused.

This may be sundowning—a pattern of increased distress that often begins in the late afternoon or evening.

It isn’t intentional behavior, and they aren’t trying to make the evening difficult.

They may be tired, overwhelmed by noise, unsettled by changing light, experiencing discomfort, or needing reassurance and connection.

A few things that may help:

💜 Turn on lights before the room becomes dark.
💜 Reduce noise, clutter, and evening activity.
💜 Keep the evening routine familiar and predictable.
💜 Check for hunger, thirst, pain, toileting needs, or fatigue.
💜 Reassure them instead of arguing or demanding that they calm down.

If the confusion appears suddenly, becomes much worse, or comes with fever, pain, hallucinations, unusual sleepiness, weakness, or medication changes, contact a healthcare professional promptly.

📖 Sundowning is only one of the many behavior changes explained inside the Dementia Care Behavior Guide.

The guide helps family caregivers explore possible causes, find compassionate responses, notice patterns, and understand when a behavior may need medical attention.

🎁 It also includes the **Premium Behavior Decoder Quick Reference:**

Behavior → Possible Cause → What to Try First

When evenings feel confusing, understanding the pattern can help you respond with greater calm and confidence.

👉 Get the Dementia Care Behavior Guide through the link in my bio other guides are available too.



Educational information only and not a substitute for individualized medical advice.