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Up to 60% of people with dementia living in care homes will ‘wander’ at some point, which has typically been seen by staff as a problematic behaviour. A range of non-pharmacological interventions have been tested to either support or prevent wandering. However, even recent innovative practice continues to maintain a focus on reducing or preventing wandering. This study aimed to identify, for the first time, care home staff perspectives on home level factors that facilitate or hinder them supporting residents to wander safely.

Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 care home staff, working in the North of England. Framework analysis was used to analyse the data.

A range of environmental considerations were identified by staff. Care home design influenced how residents were able to move safely around, and inclusion of points of interest encouraged walking to …