| Although there has been increased research on wandering over the years, little is known about why some people with dementia have a tendency to constantly ambulate while others do not. It has been suggested, however, that such variance observed in wandering could be a function of continuity of an individual's premorbid personality and ways to manage stress. Therefore, being guided by the Continuity Theory and the Need-Driven Dementia-Compromised Behavior model, this study aimed to explore relationships of premorbid personality and behavioral responses to stress to wandering behavior of residents with dementia in long term care facilities.;Using a random cluster sampling method, 70 ambulatory residents with dementia were selected from 13 nursing homes and 3 assisted living facilities. Subjects' degree of cognitive impairment was examined using the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE); premorbid personality and stress responses were assessed by the NEO-Five Factor Personality Inventory and the Behavioral Responses to Stress Scale; and wandering behavior was measured using the Revised Algase Wandering Scale - Nursing Home Version (RAWS-NH), which consists of six subscales including persistent walking (PW), specific patterns (SP), spatial disorientation (SD), eloping behavior (EB), and negative outcomes (NO).;The MMSE scores were significantly negatively correlated with RAWS overall and all of the six subscale scores. Significant negative correlations were found between the extraversion personality and the two wandering subscales of SD and EB. None of the three domains of premorbid responses to stress was significantly correlated with RAWS overall and its subscales. When MMSE was controlled, extraversion appeared to be the strongest premorbid predictor for wandering overall and SD, EB, and AS, while premorbid aggression response to stress was the strongest predictor of PW.;The present study joins a small but growing literature suggesting that wandering in persons with dementia may be an adaptive behavior which reflects continuity of premorbid personality and lifelong patterns of coping with stress. Understanding wandering behavior in the light of the demented individuals' current as well as past characteristics would enable health care professionals to plan and provide more effective individualized care for their clients. |
