Wandering and becoming lost is common among people with Alzheimer’s disease or other disorders causing dementia. This behavior can happen in the early stages of dementia—even if the person has never wandered in the past.
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…
