Tips for seaching for a missing person with dementia

Despite all the precautions one takes, it is possible the person with dementia may wander off unnoticed.  Here are some tips for searching a missing person with dementia.

•  Look within a one kilometer radius of where the patient was before they wandered.
• Check dangerous areas first near the home, ponds/lakes/wells, forested areas, tunnels, bus stops, terrace of buildings and water tanks, and roads with high traffic.
• Look within a hundred feet of a road, as most wanderers start out on roads and remain close by.  Check bushes, ditches and nullahs carefully as the person may have fallen or become trapped.
• Search in the direction of the wanderer’s dominant hand. People usually travel first in their dominant direction. (ie. right handed person would turn right – usually)
• Investigate familiar places, such as former residences or favorite spots. Often, wandering has a particular destination.
• If you suspect that the person used a car or public transportation, you’ll need to consider likely places that are farther afield.
• Contact as many people as you can to enlist their help in searching and locating the missing person soonest.  If the missing person remains stuck in a place they are unable to get out of, they may get dehydrated or hypothermia.
• Remember the dementia patient may not call out for help or even respond to your call.