Screening for wandering among older persons with dementia.

Wandering is a necessary human activity for many persons with dementia. Nursing and therapy practice in the UK must adopt a more person-centred and evidence-based approach to practice in this area. Risk is a potential that something might happen and remains present until it happens. Focusing on screening for wandering in those with dementia can enable nurses to use their skills to assess the person's nursing care needs in this area, prescribe care that promotes safe wandering and may begin to enable practitioners to recognise the benefits of safe wandering for the person. Proactive care planning and delivery should reduce the need for excessive crisis interventions when the person with dementia has progressed to a level of risk unacceptable to nurses.