From wandering to wayfaring: Reconsidering movement in people with dementia in long-term care

Abstract

The movement of people with dementia in long-term care continues to be an issue of concern among clinicians, caregivers and families. This article will examine the social construction “wandering” and its association with pathology, risk discourse and surveillance technologies. Further, the article will explore the recent shift from the term “wanderer” to the phrase “people who like to walk” in person-centred dementia care. Engaging with Ingold’s concept of movement as wayfaring, an alternative becoming-centred understanding of movement and its significance for people with dementia will be presented and illustrated through a case study. The paper concludes that depathologizing movement opens the possibility to see movement in people with dementia as an intention to be alive and to grow, rather than as a product of disease and deterioration. Suggestions for future research and implications for care interventions are discussed.