Is it common for my father to walk around the house a lot?

Brat551456 asked...

My father has dementia and he walks around the house a lot. He will sit down and get up several times. Is this normal?

Expert Answer

Joanne Koenig Coste is a nationally recognized expert on Alzheimer's care and an outspoken advocate for patient and family care. She is the author of Learning to Speak Alzheimer's. Also, she currently is in private practice as an Alzheimer's family therapist. Ms. Koenig Coste also serves as President of Alzheimer Consulting Associates, implementing state-of-the-art Alzheimer care throughout the United States.

Yes, restless pacing by someone with dementia is a common behavior. It's a form of wandering, the most extreme example of which is leaving the house without telling anyone, or wandering off in public. Often there is a 'trigger' that may be found by keeping written track of when the pacing occurs. A need to be busy or a feeling of boredom may lead to this behavior or it may be a certain time of day that will be recognized from your tracking. Often this behavior happens late in the day and that may be the time to engage him in an outdoor walk on a regular basis. If he is simply exploring his surroundings, make sure your home is a safe environment where he can pace without fear of exiting outside the home or into hazardous areas within the home (non-edibles, stairs, tools, etc). You can read more about what triggers wandering and what to do about it here.