Sometimes those with dementia take to wandering which can cause concerns about safety. For some, this occurs mainly at night. For others, it is a more general behaviour pattern that means that the carer has to be constantly vigilant. This behaviour is particularly common when people first move into care facilities and you should check with staff what arrangements are in place. In the most extreme cases, it may be important to alert police of possible problems and provide them with an identification photograph. Police may not consider someone a "missing person" until they have been missing for 24 hours, which can be a very long time (even life-threatening) for a person with dementia.

There appear to be different types of wanderer, each with a slightly different "agenda" (see Rader, Schwaab, and Doan: "How to Decrease Wandering, A Form of Agenda Behaviour", in Geriatric Nursing, July/August 1985)

• The tactile wanderer who actually is able to see very little "feels" his/her way down the hall and ends up outside or in other people's rooms. Tactile objects, wall sculptures, can help to redirect the tactile wanderer from hallways and doors.
• The reminiscent wanderer will cheerfully tell you that he/she is going to work, or to look for someone, or that it's time to go home. Activities, objects and sites that remind people of those meaningful activities or persons can help here. It is important not to remind them that "those days are over."
• The recreational wanderer.may have been a person with a formerly active lifestyle who needs the exercise. For these people jogging tracks or paths, taking them for a walk daily along exactly the same route that begins and ends at the same place, and dancing are good diversions.
• The environmentally cued wanderer goes through every door, every drawer, every cupboard they see. This is where your environmental signs and increased activities help. Avoid providing cues that may indicate that it's time to go out - coat and hat racks, for example.
• The lost person. This person will just wander off from the carer and get lost. These people need to be carefully watched. Carry a picture of the person for easy identification.
• The agitated purposeful wanderer. This person is scared to death and at high risk for injury. This person needs a time out and much supervision. The best treatment for these people is to prevent stressful outbreaks by decreasing environmental stimuli.