8 Ways to Prevent Someone With Dementia From Getting Lost

Steps family caregivers can take to keep loved ones safe

Amy Goyer,

Updated September 01, 2026

AARP

En español

Updated September 01, 2026

woman sitting on a bench in a park with her phone showing the location of her elderly father

Getty Images / AARP

Key takeaways

Roughly 6 in 10 people with dementia will get lost at some point, often while trying to meet a need, find someone or reach a familiar place.
Safety measures include home alarms, identification tools, GPS tracking and enhanced security for exits and outdoor areas.
If a loved one goes missing, call 911 immediately, check tracking devices and focus searches on familiar locations near home.

One of the most common safety concerns for caregivers of people who are living with dementia is that their loved one will leave without their knowledge, get confused about their location or where they are going and get lost (sometimes referred to as “wandering”).

The stakes are real: According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia. Many live with other types of dementia, and roughly 6 in 10 people with dementia will “wander” at some point — often more than once.

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In my 35 years of caregiving and work experience, no one I have encountered who is living with dementia “wanders” aimlessly. In their mind, there’s a reason:

They are looking for something or someone.
They are acting on a strong feeling that they should be somewhere — work, home, picking up a child after school, etc. Sometimes they aren’t sure where they should be, but the feeling makes them go try to figure it out.
They want to do something. (I once lost an adult day-care client because he wanted to go fishing.)
They have an unmet need they are trying to address — hunger, thirst, tiredness, loneliness, etc.
They are scared and want to look for a place that feels safe.

We may not understand what they are thinking or why they are confused. And they may not be able to communicate it.

In more than a decade of caregiving for my dad, who had Alzheimer’s, he disappeared twice. Both times, he was legitimately looking for someone.

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First, I was in a doctor’s exam room with Mom, and he was in the waiting room with my niece. She wasn’t paying attention, and he went to look for Mom.

He went right out the back door, which someone had left open, and through two parking lots, looking for us. Thankfully, I realized he was gone, quickly figured out where he went and spotted him in the distance.

The second time, my niece was visiting my parents at their senior community and decided to wait for her mother at the entrance instead of in their apartment. Dad got worried about whether she had been picked up and walked out to look for her. When he didn’t see her at the entrance (because she had been picked up), he went outside and up to the corner of a major road. Then he couldn’t figure out how to get back home. Fortunately, a neighbor driving by saw him asking stopped cars for help, recognized him and brought him home.

It’s hard to express the sheer terror I felt in both situations. We were extremely lucky in these instances, and I put more safeguards in place after they happened. Dad passed on in 2018, and now there are even more readily available safety options to help.

Even if we don’t think our loved ones could get lost, it can happen to anyone — and it’s almost always a surprise when it does. It’s much better to prepare and prevent than to wait until a life-threatening incident occurs.

Here are some steps you can take to lower the risk.

1. Install alarms and alerts

Consider gadgets and technology that will alert you when your loved ones are up and about before they leave home, such as audio and video monitors; activity sensors like floor mat or bed/chair pad alarms; motion-sensor alarms (in the home, near the door inside and outside, by the driveway); simple stick-on door chime alarms; or a security system that will sound when doors are opened (without automatically calling 911) and/or provide alerts on your phone or other devices (this was very helpful when my dad was living with me). Even a simple motion-sensor light under the bed can alert you when your loved one is getting out of bed.

Some devices are designed specifically for people with dementia, such as a waterproof stick-on patch you can apply to the skin (usually on their back). The patch uses radio-frequency technology, and if the person gets too far away, it alerts you via a small portable receiver.

2. Make the home entry/exit safer

Make door handles more difficult to open with door-lever safety locks or doorknob safety covers. Try installing dead bolts where they are harder to see — above eye level or below the “normal” placement. Consider a door guard or lock that is just a bit more complicated for someone with dementia but still simple enough for you to use easily.

Another option is to put up a large poster that covers the entire door and looks like a bookcase or a brick wall — sometimes, the illusion that it is not a door is a deterrent.

Important: Be sure you have a safe way to exit in an emergency, including if something happens to you and your loved one needs to leave the home.

3. Make sure they can be identified

Be sure your loved ones have some form of identification on them and a recent digital photo readily available.

Using multiple forms of identification, including emergency contact numbers and a disclosure of their dementia diagnosis (and any other health conditions), is a good idea in case one form is removed or lost.

You might get an ID bracelet or pendant, or one that laces into shoelaces or attaches to a watchband, as well as identification inside their clothing and wallet and on their phone.

My boyfriend suggested a very simple ID bracelet with a comfortable, lightweight wristband like the one he wore when he went running. I purchased one for my dad, and he wore it day and night for eight years, never trying to remove it. It included a small faceplate with his name, birth date, Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and my name and phone number for the emergency contact.

Some organizations focus specifically on devices and programs for people with dementia or other special needs, including MedicAlert Foundation, AngelSense and Project Lifesaver International. Some include special response programs if a person using their devices gets lost.

4. Use GPS tracking

Smartphone apps

If your loved ones have a smartphone, ensure GPS is installed and accessible if you can’t find them or need to track their progress when they travel alone. For example, use the Find My app (iPhone, Apple Watch, laptop, iPad or an AirTag attached to keys or other items) on Apple devices, or use Find My Device and Find My Friends on Android devices. Apps like Life360, Family Nest and Glymose for Auto help you track loved ones or a family group in real time (and some have special features for cars and driving).

GPS trackers

GPS trackers, such as Apple’s AirTag, Life360’s Tile or Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2, can be attached to clothing, keys, wallets, cars (in the trunk or under the bumper) or just about anywhere, including shoe-sole inserts. You can track these devices using your smartphone or another device, but your loved one does not need a smartphone.

Wearable GPS tracking devices may be in the form of a wristband (like a watch) or a necklace like a lavalier pendant (often part of a medical alert system). In addition to GPS tracking, they may offer fall detection, an SOS button and tamper-resistant straps that are hard to remove, with battery life stretching to a week or more on some models.

Some GPS trackers use “geo-fencing” to create designated areas around the home that you deem as safe for your loved one, and if they go beyond that area, it sends a notification to your phone or other devices.

Car devices

Another option is a device placed on the car dashboard, such as MOTOSafety, CarlLock or Bouncie, that allows you to track their location, in addition to other features such as monitoring speed and how the car is functioning.

5. Pay attention to exits and safety hazards in the yard and garage

People with dementia and visual or perceptual impairments may not be able to see glass doors; placing stickers on the glass can prevent your loved ones from walking into it.

Make sure you fence in the yard and add locked gates to it and, separately, the swimming pool, if you have one. Monitor the safety of pathways and steps, including for rain, snow and ice, and ensure adequate lighting.

If the grill is a concern, lock the cover and access to gas tanks and all fire starters.

6. Assess whether driving is safe

Many people drive for a while after a dementia diagnosis. If your loved ones are still driving, be sure to constantly monitor their judgment, vision and visual processing, and safe driving and navigation skills. They may be able to operate the car safely but unable to find their way around.

Confer with their doctor and review AARP’s “We Need to Talk” online seminar about discussing hanging up the keys with a loved one.

Be mindful that your loved ones know their independence is threatened when they stop driving. They may fear isolation and being unable to get where they need to go when they need to go there, so be sure to have alternative transportation options available.

Some caregivers must hide the car keys or remove the car from the home to prevent their loved ones from driving. Even if you don’t think there’s a chance they could get in the car and drive, it’s a good idea to put a GPS tracker in it (see GPS trackers above).

7. Flag access to bicycles, lawn mowers, tractors, golf carts

A caregiver told me her husband couldn’t find the car keys, so he got on the riding mower and took off down the road. It was quite a while before she realized he was gone. Be aware of “alternate vehicles” you might not normally consider. Be sure to monitor their ability to use them safely, and block access if they can’t.

One can get quite a distance in one of these alternative vehicles — and they can be as dangerous as driving a car.

8. Loop in authorities, neighbors and your community

Let trusted neighbors know about your loved one’s diagnosis and what to do if they see them outside alone — a quick call to you can prevent a situation from escalating.

Often, there are favorite places your loved one likes to go, such as a coffee shop, park, restaurant or grocery store. If you are comfortable doing so, speak with the staff or managers and give them your contact information in case your loved one goes there without you.

Find out if your community is a dementia-friendly community — a village, town, city or county that is informed, safe and respectful of individuals living with dementia, their families and caregivers and provides supportive options that foster quality of life. These communities may have additional safety features in place, as well as trained first responders who are aware that your loved one lives there.

Silver Alert

A Silver Alert is a public notification system (modeled after the Amber Alert for missing children) used to help find missing older adults, particularly those with dementia or another cognitive impairment, who may be lost. It’s issued by law enforcement and spreads the word through radio, TV, highway signs and other public channels so the community can help watch for the person.

Contact your state department of public safety, center for missing persons or your local police departments and sheriff’s office to find out if they offer a Silver Alert Registry. If they do, you can register your loved one in their secure database so in case they get lost, the information is easy for first responders to access quickly. Each state sets its own rules for who qualifies and how the alert works. Registering usually includes a digital photo, physical description, medical conditions and emergency contacts. Some departments will even provide a free identification bracelet.

Remember that abilities and needs can vary greatly among individuals with dementia, and safety concerns can change as the disease progresses. Continually assess your loved ones’ risk for getting lost or injured if they leave home alone.

If Your Loved One Gets Lost: Your Action Plan

Even with every precaution, a loved one with dementia can still get lost. Knowing exactly what to do in the first few minutes matters as much as the precautions themselves.

Check GPS trackers. If your loved ones have a GPS tracking device, medical alert system or other location-based device in place, check it quickly to see if you can locate them.

Call 911 right away. You may hesitate to involve the police, but don’t spend precious time searching alone — every minute counts, and officers are trained to treat the case of a missing person with dementia differently than a typical missing-adult case. If you preregistered in a Silver Alert Registry, tell the 911 call center.

Notify neighbors and family. Ask for help; with more people looking, you can search multiple places at once. Keep your phone line open in case someone calls in a sighting.

Share printed and digital “quick facts” info. Give first responders and anyone else searching a recent photo and physical description. Share their medical history and medication list with first responders and trustworthy searchers. Describe possible destinations (see below).

Check close to home. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, many individuals with dementia who get lost are found within 1.5 miles of home, so check your immediate neighborhood and the surrounding areas quickly.

Look in places they’re drawn to. Search familiar spots like former workplaces, grocery stores, restaurants, previous homes, family members’ or friends’ homes, favorite parks or walking paths. Try to put yourself in their place and think about who they might be looking for or what they might be trying to do.

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Amy Goyer is AARP's family and caregiving expert and author of Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving. Connect with Amy on Facebook, Twitter, in AARP's Online Community and in the AARP Facebook Family Caregivers Group.

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