It may be aimless or purposeful: looking for a former home, a job, or a person who has died. It is common, it can happen in the early stages, and it is dangerous in cold weather or near roads and water.
Door alarms, ID bracelets, GPS devices and a daily routine that uses up restless energy all reduce the risk. The Alzheimer's Association's MedicAlert programme is the best-known safeguard.
Why it matters
Six in ten people with dementia will wander at least once; planning for it is not pessimism.
Further reading: Alzheimer's Association, wandering
Wandering where you live
The local guide on this, for each city we cover.
- Baltimore, MD
- Boston, MA
- Buffalo, NY
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Detroit, MI
- Houston, TX
- Los Angeles, CA
- Memphis, TN
- Milwaukee, WI
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Tucson, AZ