Keeping a Loved One With Dementia
Safe When They Wander

It takes thirty seconds. You turn to answer the phone, and when you look back the front door is standing open and the chair is empty. For families living with dementia, that moment is one of the most common emergencies there is — and a storm makes it far more likely.

Roughly six in ten people living with dementia will wander at some point, according to the Alzheimer's Association — and it often happens the very first time with no warning — a moment of confusion, an open door, and they are gone. What makes a hurricane so dangerous is that it removes every anchor at once: the daily routine is disrupted, the home may be dark or damaged, familiar people are stressed and distracted, and evacuation means strange surroundings. All of that sharply increases confusion and the urge to "go home" or "find" something.

Then the environment turns hostile. Florida heat becomes life-threatening within hours, floodwater hides hazards, and downed lines and debris are everywhere. A person who wanders during or right after a storm is in real danger fast. None of this is a failure of caregiving — it is a known, predictable risk, and it is one you can plan for.

There are three practical ways to keep a loved one locatable, and the right one depends on how fast you need to know:

Apple AirTag — inexpensive, no monthly fee, locates through Apple's Find My network whenever any iPhone passes nearby. Excellent in populated areas; not live GPS, so updates thin out where few phones are around.

Cellular GPS tracker — reports real-time location anywhere with cell signal and can send a geofence alert the instant they leave the house or yard. That early warning is the single most valuable feature for a wanderer. The trade-off is a monthly fee and regular charging.

GPS smartwatch for seniors — combines tracking with an SOS button and is worn like a normal watch, which some people accept more readily than a separate device. Same fee-and-charging trade-off.

For someone who wanders, the geofence alert of a cellular tracker is usually worth the fee — knowing the moment they step out is what buys you the time that matters.

← See the complete AirTag & tracking guide for the whole family

If you do nothing else: for someone who actively wanders, the cellular GPS tracker earns its small monthly fee the first time it tells you they have left the house. Set against a single search-and-rescue night you will never forget, it is one of the cheapest forms of peace of mind you can buy.

This is where most setups fail. People with dementia routinely remove watches, jewelry, lanyards, and anything that feels unfamiliar — so a tracker clipped to a removable item often ends up in a drawer. The goal is to put it somewhere worn every day and not easily taken off:

• Shoes — a tracker in a sewn-in pouch or under a removable insole is the gold standard. Shoes go on out of habit, and they are what a person wears when they walk out the door.
• Clothing labels — sewn-in pouches or iron-on holders inside a jacket or a few favorite garments.
• A locking medical-style wristband — for those who tolerate it, harder to remove than a watch.
• Belt or waistband holder — discreet and stays put.

Put a tracker in more than one place — shoes plus a jacket — so you are covered no matter what they grab on the way out.

Tracking is your safety net; prevention is the first line. A few low-cost steps dramatically cut the risk:

• Door and exit alarms — a chime or alarm on every exterior door tells you the instant a door opens, day or night.
• Locks placed out of the usual line of sight — a latch high or low on the door is often not noticed by someone with dementia.
• Medical ID jewelry stating the person has dementia and a contact number, so anyone who encounters them knows to help.
• Enroll in a safe-return program such as MedicAlert's wandering-support service, which links ID to a 24-hour emergency line.
• Tell your neighbors before the storm — a neighbor who knows is often the one who spots and gently redirects a wanderer first.
• Keep a current photo and written description ready (height, clothing, distinguishing features) so you can hand it to responders instantly.

Do not wait to see if they come back. Act immediately and in this order:

Most people who wander are found close to home, often within the first hour — which is exactly why the early warning of a door alarm and a tracker is so valuable. Minutes count.

Set this up before storm season. A tracker with geofence alerts, a door alarm, and ID — plus a sturdy place to keep the tracker on them — cover both prevention and recovery.