Searching for Persons with Alzheimers
	Home Caregivers Finding a Lost Person Law Enforcement Training Resources

Facts on Persons with Dementia Who Became Lost and Were Found

Persons with dementia, whether from Alzheimers or other causes, who become lost rarely ask for assistance. Some will seclude themselves and not respond to researchers. Persons who are found alive have generally continued to walk in the community and are found in populated areas such as yards, streets, sidewalks, businesses and open buildings. Persons who are found dead are almost always found in natural areas, such as fields, woods, bodies of water, ditches, etc.
Some become lost when they are wandering, but there are many other reasons someone might become lost. Studies find they have wandered or become lost while:

• At a daycare, nursing home or other facility
• Outside the home with a caregiver
• On normal outings alone
• While home alone
• While out driving alone
• While being transported by professional services

Factors contributing to becoming lost include:

• Agitated or difficult behavior in the home setting
• The caregiver becoming distracted
• The caregiver being asleep