Dementia wandering: what to do if an older person is missing

CHECK FOR WITNESSES Return to where the person went missing and look for witnesses who might have seen them. Also check with nearby businesses, banks and gas stations to see if they have

security cameras that might have caught the direction the missing person went. Encourage the police to check nearby traffic cameras as well, even if the missing person is believed to be on

foot. "The best way to add a sense of urgency to finding the missing person is to tell those doing the searching about other underlying medical conditions, such as a heart condition or

diabetes. Make it clear that time is of the essence, especially if the local climate is excessively hot or cold,” says Anderson. DISTRIBUTE A ‘MISSING PERSON’ POSTER If the person remains

missing for more than a few hours, create a “missing person” sign/poster and distribute it around the neighborhood, but also post it online. Ask friends and family in your area to post the

missing person sign on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds, and publish a digital version of the sign on any specialized Facebook groups that cover breaking news events, or that

focus on senior citizens, Alzheimer's or related ailments. For as little as $50 you can also use paid promotions (online ads) on social media to extend the reach of your message

quickly. In the case of my friend's father, it was a posting on two Facebook groups, called “Las Vegas Breaking News & Traffic Incidents” and “Missing People in

Reno/Sparks/Surrounding Areas,” that were instrumental in locating him unharmed at a truck stop, over 100 miles away. When creating a sign, start with a heading in large and bold type that

says “Missing Person,” followed by something like “79-Year-Old Man with Dementia.” Next, add a short description of the person's appearance and where they were last seen. It's

important to include a large, recent and clear photo of the missing person's face. Instead of listing your own phone number, instruct people to call the police (provide the phone

number), and be sure to display the missing person's case number. "People with dementia or memory loss sometimes recall memories from their distant past. Nobody knows what triggers

these memories, but it sometimes leads to missing people returning to locations from their past, such as an old residence. If it's at all possible for the missing person to return to

any of those places, search them as well,” Anderson says. "Just because someone has never exhibited some type of behavior in the past, this does not mean that they won't or

can't,” she adds. “If someone has access to an unlocked door, they could always wander through it, for example. Even if someone goes on a walk and returns home every day, this does not

mean that on one day, something might confuse them. They could wind up lost. If you live or care for someone with dementia, always keep your guard up." ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES TO AID IN

THE SEARCH • Have the police reach out to media and issue a Silver Alert, which is specifically for people with Alzheimer's or dementia. This should be done within 72 hours of the

person's disappearance. If you try doing this yourself, the media won't be receptive.