Pan-Canadian estimates of the prevalence and risks associated with critical wandering among home care clients

Introduction: We used clinical assessment records to provide pan-Canadian estimates of the prevalence and risks associated with recent (within the last 3 days) critical wandering among home care clients, with and without dementia.

Methods: The data source is interRAI Home Care (interRAI HC) assessments. The population was all long-stay home care clients assessed between 2004 and 2021 in seven Canadian provinces and territories (N = 1,598,191). We tested associations between wandering and cognition and dementia diagnoses using chi-square tests and logistic regression.

Results: Approximately 84% of the sample was over the age of 65. The overall rate of recent wandering was 3.0%. Dementia diagnosis was strongly associated with two to four times higher rates in the prevalence of recent critical wandering.

Discussion: InterRAI HC offers insights into the wandering risk of home care clients. This information should be used to manage risks in the community and could be shared with first responders.

Highlights: In all the study regions combined, the rate of recent wandering is 3.0%. Dementia was associated with 18 times greater prevalence of recent critical wandering. Home care clients at risk of wandering have complex clinical profiles that pose important risks for their health and well-being. Collaboration and information sharing between search and rescue and health professions is essential for managing risks related to critical wandering.