The Gerontologist, Vol 31, Issue 5 666-672, Copyright © 1991 by The Gerontological Society of America

ARTICLES

Travel behavior of nursing home residents perceived as wanderers and nonwanderers

D Martino-Saltzman, BB Blasch, RD Morris and LW McNeal
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033.

A video-based observational methodology was used to assess the travel behaviors of 40 nursing home residents, 24 of whom were identified by nursing staff as wanderers. Travel was monitored continuously for 30 days, resulting in the recording of over 5,000 unassisted travel events. Four basic travel patterns were observed: direct travel (86.8%), lapping (11.6%), random travel (.9%), and pacing (.7%). Travel efficiency (percentage of direct travel) was significantly related to cognitive status (r = .56), with inefficient travel most prevalent in severely demented participants.

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