Developing a Non-Pharmacological Intervention Programme for Wandering in People with Dementia: Recommendations for Healthcare Providers in Nursing Homes

Background: Wandering among people with dementia (PwD) is associated with a high risk of injury and death. The stigma of dementia prevents Chinese dementia families from seeking information and support earlier, which increases the demand for long-term care facilities. Despite universal recognition of the importance of care facilities, healthcare providers in care facilities still lack the relevant nursing knowledge and skills, including non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) that have been proven to be effective in preventing wandering. Systematic and culturally appropriate NPI programmes for healthcare providers to manage wandering among PwD in long-term care facilities are still lacking. We aimed to develop an evidence-based and culturally appropriate NPI programme for wandering in PwD to guide healthcare providers in nursing homes to prevent wandering and its adverse outcomes. Methods: The NPI programme was developed according to the framework of the Belgian Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBAM). We, (1) performed a systematic literature search to summarize the available evidence, (2) developed evidence-based recommendations for the NPI programme based on the existing evidence, and (3) carried out a validation process to revise the content of the recommendations and to determine the grades of recommendations, including group meetings with experts and a survey for end-users. Results: Based on 22 publications and validation from 7 experts and 76 end users, we developed 21 recommendations covering 4 domains: (1) caregiver education, (2) preventing excessive wandering, (3) promoting safe walking, and (4) preventing people with dementia from going missing. We created almost all recommendations of the four domains with accompanying levels of evidence and grades of recommendations. Conclusions: By combining the evidence with expert and end-user opinions, a comprehensive NPI programme was developed to support institutional healthcare providers to prevent wandering and its adverse outcomes. The benefits of this programme are currently being tested.