Walking With Purpose is a free practical guide for families, unpaid carers, hospital staff and care professionals supporting someone who lives with dementia.
When a person with dementia walks repeatedly, checks doors, follows staff or says, “I need to go home,” the behaviour is often described as wandering. However, repeated walking may not be random or meaningless. It may be the person’s way of searching, coping, regulating themselves, finding connection or trying to complete something that still feels important.
The person may be looking for someone familiar, following an old routine, trying to return to work, searching for the toilet, feeling hungry or thirsty, escaping a noisy environment, experiencing discomfort or simply using movement to feel calmer.
Correcting the person or repeatedly asking them to sit down may increase anxiety and lead to confrontation. This guide encourages carers to look beyond the behaviour and ask a more helpful question:
“What might this person need?”
Inside the guide, you will discover the simple See–Feel–Need–Do approach. This practical framework can help you identify patterns, consider the emotions beneath the behaviour, explore possible unmet needs and choose a small supportive response.
This free dementia resource is suitable for:
The guide also includes helpful phrases, practical planning ideas and a quick safety check for situations where walking, confusion or agitation changes suddenly.
Complete the short form on this page to download your free copy of Walking With Purpose.
