Getting out.

Months ago, at Dad's old facility, the administrator asked if we would no longer allow Dad's aide to take him out more than once a week or so. They were convinced that Dad became increasingly agitated and angry upon returning from an outing. He went to all the doors repeatedly, testing them and trying to get out, being aggressive to the staff. They swore it was because he was becoming overloaded by the outside world, that this eventually happened to all dementia patients. Well, I swung by Dad's new home to drop off some pants the other day and he was out. Every time I call to check in on him, he's out. He gets out more than I do, now! His aide and the other caregivers are taking him out shopping, to the park, walking, playing tennis, lunch, and a bunch of other places. And he's doing just fine. He's calm, non-aggressive, doesn't try the door when he's home, and seems quite content. This leads me to wonder: what was causing the problem before? It obviously wasn't the outings, and now I'm sad for all the enjoyment Dad could have been having if I hadn't listened to his old caregivers.