According to the Alzheimer’s Association (2024), around 60% of people with Alzheimer’s or dementia wander aimlessly at some point. This behaviour, known as ‘wandering,’ poses a serious risk if the resident leaves their room or the centre without supervision. In social and healthcare settings, preventing these situations protects the safety of residents and provides peace of mind for family members and professionals.
Today, technological advances make it possible to ensure protection without limiting freedom of movement. Intelligent monitoring systems combined with adapted protocols, such as wandering control, have become essential tools for providing a safe and humane environment for people with cognitive impairment.
What is wandering control?
A wandering control system is designed to detect unusual movements and alert staff when a resident approaches a restricted or potentially dangerous area. Its purpose is not to impede mobility, but to provide safe accompaniment, ensuring that the person maintains their autonomy within protected limits.
These systems are integrated into the centre’s infrastructure: doors, corridors, lifts and emergency exits, generating automatic alerts in the event of unusual behaviour. In this way, staff can intervene in time, preventing incidents and offering more humane and efficient care.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of implementing these systems in social and healthcare centres. We will analyse the risks of not having these solutions, the benefits they bring, the different types of technologies available and the keys to successful implementation.
Why is wandering control important?
People with cognitive impairment often experience spatial confusion and loss of orientation. Unsupervised wandering can lead to serious accidents, stress and anxiety.
Having a monitoring system that combines technology and action protocols provides multiple benefits: incident prevention, emotional security and operational efficiency. Emotional safety is as important as physical safety. Therefore, an environment where residents feel free but protected reduces agitation, improves mood and boosts the confidence of both residents and their families.
In addition, staff can focus on direct, personalised care, rather than devoting constant resources to surveillance, thus improving the overall quality of care.
Risks associated with unsupervised wandering
Before implementing a system, it is essential to understand the risks that wandering can pose. These risks are grouped into physical, emotional, and organisational categories:
- Falls and injuries: Trips or loss of balance can cause fractures or bruises. These incidents not only affect the resident’s health, but also create emotional stress and additional work for staff.
- Disorientation: Residents may lose their spatial reference and be unable to find their room, increasing anxiety and the risk of incidents.
- Unauthorised departures: Leaving the premises without supervision exposes residents to traffic accidents or adverse weather conditions.
- Emotional impact: Residents and family members suffer anxiety about the possibility of incidents, which can affect the quality of life of both.
- Staff overload: Constant surveillance reduces availability for direct care and increases work stress.
- Legal risks: Centres may face liability if there are no clear prevention protocols in place.
Taken together, these risks demonstrate that technology alone is not enough: a shared culture of safety is required, combining intelligent systems with trained staff and clear protocols.
Benefits of an intelligent monitoring system
Implementing a wandering control system brings significant advantages that impact safety, management, and overall well-being. Before listing them, it is important to understand that these benefits directly translate into a higher quality of life for residents and operational efficiency for staff:
- Accident prevention: Early detection of unusual movements allows intervention before an incident occurs, reducing falls and injuries.
- Emotional security: Residents feel protected, improving their autonomy and psychological well-being.
- Peace of mind for family members: Knowing that their loved ones are being monitored and are safe builds trust and reduces anxiety.
- Staff efficiency: Automatic alerts and centralised monitoring allow more time to be spent on direct care and less on constant surveillance.
- Documentation and monitoring: Electronic systems record movements and incidents, facilitating the continuous improvement of protocols.
- Regulatory compliance: Helps centres comply with safety and civil liability regulations.
- Adaptability: Supervision is adjusted according to the profile and needs of each resident, ensuring personalised care.
In summary, a well-designed system combines prevention, protection and efficiency, creating a safe and reliable environment for everyone.
Types of monitoring systems
Monitoring systems are mainly divided into electronic and manual systems, which complement each other to ensure comprehensive coverage. Before explaining each type, it is important to note that the choice must be tailored to the needs of the centre and the profile of the residents.
Electronic systems
These include bracelets with sensors, doors with alarms, motion detectors and real-time location systems. One of the most important innovations is the incorporation of cameras with facial recognition, which allow each resident to be identified and signs of disorientation to be detected before an incident occurs.
Main advantages:
- Immediate response to risky situations.
- Reduction in incidents and accidents.
- Automatic recording of movements and alerts.
- Less strain on staff.
- Possibility of adjusting alerts according to the resident’s profile.
These solutions combine advanced technology and discreet monitoring, providing protection without restricting the resident’s autonomy.
Manual systems
These are based on direct supervision, regular patrols, constant communication and incident logging. Although they require more human resources, they are essential to complement technology and ensure comprehensive care.
Advantages:
- Adaptation to exceptional situations.
- Identification of behaviour patterns.
- Reinforcement of security through direct interaction.
Together, the combination of electronic and manual systems offers greater efficiency and flexibility in supervision.
Implementation of a monitoring system
Implementation requires planning, appropriate technology and staff training. Before installing any devices, it is important to assess the profile of residents, identify risk areas and establish clear protocols:
- Initial assessment: Determine risk areas and the level of mobility of residents.
- System design: Establish safe zones, alert levels and action protocols.
- Technology selection: Bracelets, sensors, cameras, and integrated alarms according to needs.
- Staff training: Learn how the devices work, how to interpret alerts, and how to execute protocols.
- Monitoring and maintenance: Review the system periodically and adapt it to changes in residents.
This combination ensures a safe, flexible, and person-centred environment.
Best practices for controlling wandering
For monitoring systems to work well and respect residents, it is essential to combine technology, clear protocols and staff training. Among the most important best practices are: creating internal protocols that indicate how to act in the event of unusual movements, recording and reviewing all incidents for continuous improvement, and maintaining constant communication among staff.
It is also key to integrate monitoring with other security systems, such as CCTV, access control and alarms, to provide comprehensive surveillance without limiting residents’ autonomy. In addition, providing regular training helps staff to interpret alerts correctly, use technological devices properly and treat residents with dignity and respect.
These practices create a safe, efficient and resident-centred environment, where protection and freedom of movement coexist in a balanced way.
At ISECO, we believe that intelligent monitoring of residents who wander is essential to ensuring safety, autonomy and emotional well-being. Thanks to technologies such as smart bracelets, facial recognition cameras and automatic alerts, we can anticipate risks, optimise resources and offer peace of mind to families and professionals.
By balancing protection, freedom, and well-being, residents can move around with confidence while staff have effective tools to act safely and humanely. At ISECO, we know that implementing innovative technology, with clear protocols and ongoing training, ensures a safe and dignified environment where protection and autonomy go hand in hand.
