Injuries and unattended home exits in persons with dementia: a 12-month prospective study.

Persons with dementia are at particular risk for injuries and unattended home exits. The purposes of this study were to prospectively describe the characteristics and determine the hazard rates of unattended home exits and injuries. A total of 9 times over 12 months, data were collected from 53 caregivers of persons with dementia about persons with dementia unattended home exits or injuries. A total of 24% of persons with dementia had at least 1 unattended exit; 4 participants exited multiple times. Men and younger persons with dementia were significantly more likely to exit than women or older individuals. A total of 30% of persons with dementia sustained injuries in 29 separate incidents; all but 3 injuries were caused by falls, and 38% of injuries resulted in nursing home placement. The hazard rate of untoward events was high, at approximately 1 unattended exit and 1 fall per person-year. For all persons with dementia living in the community, health care plans should include specific interventions to prevent these untoward events.