How to Calm a Person Living with Dementia Who is Wanting to Go Home

Strategies for Identifying Causes and Offering Comfort

By Valerie Feurich, PAC Team Member

If you’re caring for a person living with Alzheimers or another form of dementia, chances are you’ve heard the statement “I want to go home” before. Phrases like “I need to get out of here” or “I’m looking for my mom” are very common in dementia care, as they’re a symptom of a changing brain.

When dementia sets in, the brain undergoes chemical as well as physical changes. One of the first areas of the brain that gets damaged is the hippocampal region, the area of the brain that helps us keep a timeline of our life’s events and helps us orient ourselves in our surroundings. While the order and location of damage within the hippocampus varies by the type and form of brain change, it is one of the first parts of the brain to be affected in all types of dementia.

When enough of the hippocampal area has been damaged, destroyed, or chemically altered, the person will have a really hard time trying to hold on to the timeline of their life. Things we take for granted, such as knowing where you are, how you got there, or remembering the layout of your home, are no longer working properly.