Half of Lost People With Dementia Are Found Within Half a Mile
Three-quarters stay inside 1.2 miles, and even young children tend to travel farther.
Bear Brook · A Private Matter, Episode 4Half of people with dementia who wander off on foot turn up within half a mile from the spot they disappeared.
That figure comes from search-and-rescue expert Robert Kester, who collected data specifically on lost people with dementia in temperate, mountainous wilderness like New Hampshire's.
He found that three-quarters stay inside a 1.2-mile circle. In later stages of dementia, people tend to keep walking in the direction they started until thick vegetation, water, or a fence stops them.
By comparison, even young children ages 7, 8, and 9 typically roam further if lost. Kester says two dozen trained searchers plus several dogs could theoretically cover that circle in a few days.
Questions people ask
Why do people with dementia stay so close?
In later-stage wandering, people tend to keep moving in their initial direction along the path of least resistance until something stops them. Thick vegetation, streams and ponds, and fences are things that Kester says can get people stuck.
Do lost people walk in circles?
At night or in fog, lost walkers often walk in circles. One hypothesis is that one leg is slightly shorter than the other, pulling the path into a loop when there are no landmarks to follow.
What should you do if someone with dementia wanders off?
Call 911 quickly, because searchers hope to find someone alive in the first hours or days. According to Robert Kester, about a quarter of lost people with dementia die within the first 24 hours. Give searchers the point last seen, clothing details, and any familiar places from the past the person might try to reach.