Understand wandering

If a person with dementia is returning from regular walks or drives later than usual or is forgetting how to get to familiar places, he or she may be wandering.

There are many reasons why a person who has dementia might wander, including:

• Stress or fear. The person with dementia might wander as a reaction to feeling nervous in a crowded area, such as a restaurant.
• Searching. He or she might get lost while searching for something or someone, such as past friends.
• Basic needs. He or she might be looking for a bathroom or food or want to go outdoors.
• Following past routines. He or she might try to go to work or buy groceries.
• Visual-spatial problems. He or she can get lost even in familiar places because dementia affects the parts of the brain important for visual guidance and navigation.

Also, the risk of wandering might be higher for men than women.