A Case Report. A home monitoring system was developed to e nsure that the caregiver would be notified if the CI individual attempted to le ave the home at night. This case illustrates the effectiveness of the device in a situation in which the CI individual frequently attempted to leave the home during the night hours.
Nighttime activity is a significant problem in home-dwelling dementia individuals.
The reasons for awakening a caregiver at night included complaints of pain, complaints of sleeplessness, wanting to talk, needing help, and wandering. The deleterious effects on caregivers' sleep and the ability to provide care often have the unfortunate consequence of institutional placement . Additionally, nighttime activity outside of the home in CI individuals can result in death . Thus, interventions developed to improve caregiver sleep may prevent injuries and delay institutional placement. The following case study illustrates a novel method designed to assist caregivers in managing the nighttime activity common in dementia.