Dementia & Alzheimer’s Searches
What is Lost Memory Search?
Dementia and Alzheimer’s searches involve locating adults who may be disoriented, confused, or unable to recognize danger. These individuals often wander without a clear destination and may struggle to communicate basic information like their name or address. Weather, terrain, and time away from familiar surroundings can quickly increase risk. Search efforts emphasize understanding behavior patterns, last-known routines, and nearby hazards.
The goal is to find the person as quickly as possible, provide medical evaluation, and return them to a safe and familiar environment.
Our Dementia & Alzheimer’s Search Process
As the majority of wandering individuals with Dementia/Alzheimer’s are on foot, the physical search will begin within the missing person’s last residence and outside the perimeter. Posters with photos of the lost person will be created and disseminated. These posters will be distributed by going door to door within the lost person’s neighborhood. Investigators will also drive around adjacent neighborhoods to widen the search for the missing person. The Reporting Party will be given instruction on how to contact other entities that can provide valuable information, such as morgues, hospitals, homeless shelters, etc.
Known Stranger Definition
Having assisted in the recovery of many missing persons diagnosed with Dementia/Alzheimer’s; the following information is being presented:
Family members and loved ones may see a change in personality of a person after a Dementia/Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The diagnosed person may have memory failure and not recognize family members or loved ones. The once calm, polite, and patient person has now become agitated, unruly, and frustrated. The diagnosed person who never swore is now projecting sudden outbursts of hurtful words. Family members and loved ones no longer recognize who this person has now become and may view the diagnosed person as a “Known Stranger.”
What Is the Difference between Wandering and Elopement?
Wandering: When a resident, in a nursing home or assisted living facility moves around the facility without a specific destination, while securely contained in a safe environment.
Elopement: When a resident, in a nursing home or assisted living facility leaves without the staff’s knowledge or supervision. Elopement is a serious safety concern, which may result in the person getting lost, injured, or killed
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) on Dementia & Alzheimer’s Searches
Is there a 24-hour waiting period to report a missing person in California?
No. California law does not require a 24-hour waiting period to report a missing adult.
Who should I contact to report a missing adult in California?
Contact your local police department or sheriff’s office right away.
What should I tell the 911 dispatcher?
State clearly that the missing person is a “Vulnerable Adult with Dementia or Alzheimer’s.” This classification ensures the case is treated as missing and at risk, triggering a faster law-enforcement response.
What information should I have ready for police?
Provide a recent close-up photo, last-known clothing, medical conditions, current medications, nicknames the person responds to, and known destinations or routines. If the person was last known driving a vehicle, provide vehicle year, make, model, and color.
Having this information ready can significantly speed up the search.
Should I obtain a copy of the police department or sheriff’s office missing person report?
Yes. Obtain the report number, a copy of the report, the officer’s name, and the officer’s telephone number.
Should I make multiple copies of the police report?
Yes. Make multiple copies of the police report. Every organization that assists in search for your child will require a copy of the missing person’s report.
Who else should be notified besides the police in California?
California Department of Justice at 1-800-222-FIND (24 hour nationwide toll-free Hotline) or (916) 210-3119 or at missing.persons@doj.ca.gov.
Is there a national system that can help locate a missing person?
Yes. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a national database used to help locate missing individuals.
What should I do first if a person with dementia or Alzheimer’s goes missing?
Immediate, coordinated action is critical. Begin searching the home right away, including closets, basements, garages, and the surrounding yard. The first few minutes are the most important in safely locating a vulnerable adult.
How quickly should I start searching?
Search immediately. Experts advise acting within the first 15 minutes, as individuals with dementia can quickly become disoriented, injured, or exposed to environmental hazards.
Where should I look besides streets and sidewalks?
Check less-traveled and concealed areas, including dense brush, tree lines, drainage areas, and bodies of water. People with dementia may enter these areas unintentionally and become stuck or hidden from view.
What is a Silver Alert and how does it work in California?
A Silver Alert is a statewide public notification system coordinated by the California Highway Patrol. It broadcasts identifying information through highway signs, media outlets, and digital alerts to help locate missing seniors and cognitively impaired adults.
A Silver Alert is activated when: A missing vulnerable adult, age 60 or older, is in danger due to cognitive impairments or other health issues such as Dementia or Alzheimer’s and A Credible Threat to the person’s health and safety.
Why should I check former homes or familiar places?
Disoriented individuals often attempt to return to places from their earlier life, such as former homes, workplaces, or favorite restaurants, even if they haven’t been there in years.
Should I involve neighbors and local businesses?
Yes. Notifying neighbors, nearby shopkeepers, transit staff, and community groups—both in person and through social media—can quickly expand the search area and increase the number of people actively looking.
Why should I call local hospitals?
Hospitals may have admitted the person as an unidentified patient. Calling nearby emergency rooms can help confirm whether they were found but unable to identify themselves.
What is Project Lifesaver and when should I contact them?
If the individual is enrolled, Project Lifesaver can deploy specialized teams using radio-frequency tracking equipment. Notify them immediately to activate their response.
How does MedicAlert® + Safe Return® help?
If the person wears a MedicAlert ID, this service links them to a national database that helps law enforcement and hospitals quickly identify them and notify caregivers.
When should a local private investigator be contacted to assist in the search?
A local private investigator (PI) should be contacted after law enforcement has been notified and the initial search is underway, especially if the person has not been located within the first several hours or the case begins to stall.
Statistics on Dementia & Alzheimer’s missing persons in the United States
Based on academic research, the FBI’s missing persons database, and statistics from several states’ Silver Alert programs, it’s projected that each year in the United States 198,000 critical wandering events involving persons living with Dementia.
Of these, nearly 1 in 3, approximately 63,000 mothers, fathers, sisters, or brothers, do not return. If not found within 24 hours, the likelihood of a fatality reaches 46% in a mild environment. However, where terrain and climate are hostile to travel on foot, the proportion of fatalities is much higher.
Learn more from the Dementia Society of America on Keeping them Safe: Critical Wandering and Elopement.