Did you know?
Over 100,000 times per year, persons with dementia (such as Alzheimer’s disease) become lost in their own community and are unable to find their own way home. Persons with dementia often become lost, because they leave home without their caregiver. However persons with dementia living in nursing homes also become lost in the community. The situations that often lead to a person becoming lost in the community occur in all care giving environments. Here are just a few of the most common reasons:
* Caregiver are distracted or are sleeping.
* The person is left alone in the home
* The person is on an outing with the caregiver and wanders away
* The person is on a regular outing in the commuity and becomes confused
Recognizing a person with dementia
When persons with dementia are lost, they rarely ask for help to find their way home. Often a Good Samaritan is the only person between the persons with dementia being found safely or not.
Warning Signs
* Inappropriate clothing such as not enough / too much clothing for the weather.
Being outside with pajamas or night clothing, on.
* Clothing that is very dirty or disheveled.
* Acting confused about the environment. For instance, unable to correctly cross a street, or wandering in or on the side of a street / highway.
* Acting confused in a store such as loitering too long or eating merchandise without paying for it.
* Going into a neighbor's backyard or trying to get into someone's house.
* Sitting on the sidewalk.
* Rummaging through garbage.
