He Keeps Asking to Go to Work
But He's Been Retired for 15 Years
"He keeps asking to go to work. How do I tell him he's been retired for fifteen years?"
This question came from a daughter whose father had been a teacher for forty years. Every morning, he'd put on his tie and head for the door, convinced he had classes to teach.
Instead of constantly correcting him, she tried something different. She created a "work space" in their home - a desk with papers to grade, lesson plans to review. When he felt the urge to work, she'd redirect him there.
The wandering stopped. Not because she'd locked him in, but because she'd honored what he was really seeking - purpose, routine, the feeling of being needed.
This is what I mean when I say that managing wandering isn't about stopping behavior. It's about understanding what that behavior is trying to tell you.
In my latest piece, I share more strategies like this one - approaches that see the person behind the symptom and respond to their deeper needs.
Because the goal isn't just safety. It's helping your loved one feel like themselves, even when so much has changed.