A nurse is assessing a client who has Alzheimer’s disease. Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as the priority?

Choice A reason: Memory loss of personal history is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s due to hippocampal degeneration but is not the priority. It affects identity but poses no immediate safety risk compared to wandering, which can lead to life-threatening situations like getting lost or injured. Choice B reason: Wandering is a priority in Alzheimer’s, as it poses immediate safety risks, including getting lost, injury, or exposure. Driven by disorientation and restlessness from cortical atrophy, it requires urgent interventions like environmental modifications to prevent harm, making it the critical focus. Choice C reason: Placing shoes on the wrong feet reflects visuospatial deficits in Alzheimer’s but is not life-threatening. It indicates cognitive decline but does not require immediate intervention, as it poses minimal safety risk compared to wandering, which demands urgent attention. Choice D reason: Not recognizing a partner is distressing but not an immediate safety concern. This agnosia results from temporal lobe degeneration but does not pose the acute risk of wandering, which can lead to physical harm or elopement, prioritizing safety interventions.