Falls & Getting Lost
Walking exposes these people to the hazards of falling and getting lost, and constant walking leads to dehydration and weight loss. The following precautions are recommended.
Exit Doors
When they get stuck rattling a locked door or gate, try to turn them around. Out of sight really is out of mind. Human beings get most of their information from visual cues; the percentage may be as high as 80% for normal people and may be higher with a cognitive disability. The problem is that visual acuity does not seem to be very good, with a decrease that seems to be connected to the severity of the disability.
Locked doors and gates that restrain exits from units and buildings are noticed and resisted. To minimise resistance, remove / block glass panels in doors or disguise doors with posters such as posters of windows with landscapes or bookcases. Educate all staff members in the value and methods of taking a "walkabout".
Other Doors
Doors that open automatically and revolving doors can be accidents waiting to happen because these people move so slowly.
Automatic doors may need to be removed, adjusted or access may need to be restricted.
They probably cannot put their hands up to push a revolving door, but they can be knocked down if someone else is pushing through in a hurry.
When family and friends take them into the community, they need to be told to stay out of automatic and revolving doors. Most installations have an additional set of customary doors installed beside automatic and revolving doors.
Finding the Toilet
Because they can walk and say where they are going, it is easy to wrongly assume that they can find the toilet when the need occurs. To prevent accidents, they need to be escorted after meals.
Within ACL 2.6, men are apt to urinate on objects that are misidentified as a toilet. Many facilities have primary targets, such as radiators, which require supervision or camouflage. A few women do it too, but they have different targets.
Sitting down on the toilet may be easier when the colour of the floor is a contrasting colour with the toilet. White on white may be confusing, but white on wood, yellow, blue, etc. is easier to see. Changing the colour of the floor may reduce resistance to using the toilet if that is the cause of confusion that results in avoiding the toilet.
To evaluate visual confusion, you can place some temporary tiles around the base of the toilet, but do not use dark colours that might look like stepping into a dark hole. Changing the floor colour may make it easier for them to see the outlines of the toilet and feel more secure when sitting down.
Food & Fluid Intake
Combating dehydration has met with some success when fluid is placed in a plastic bottle with a straw that can be hung around their neck. The person may drink spontaneously or staff, family and friends can cue them. People who walk constantly can usually suck on the straw while they walk within ACL 2.6, but not within ACL 2.4 because they lose their balance.
A method for eating finger foods while walking uses an apron with a pocket. Gender and age appropriate aprons can be found that have a sparkle of individual differences that family and friends enjoy. Since they are carrying the treats around with them, they may be willing to sit down and have a snack.