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If someone needs immediate help with elderly missing, use emergency mode.
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DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — An older adult with dementia, confusion, or cognitive impairment has wandered away and cannot be located.
The essentials if you need to act right now.
Call police now. Search nearby water and roads. Share photo and medical info.
What might I see? Observable signs — no diagnosis required.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Door or gate open, person not returned from walk, clothes inappropriate for weather.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — History of dementia, stroke, or delirium.
Optional deeper explanation — not required to act.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Wandering often follows familiar old routes — previous home or workplace.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — They may not respond to name or ask for help when confused.
Check the scene before you approach.
Civilian-safe actions you can take.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Quick circle of block — call name calmly.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Check if they left in wrong shoes or without coat.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Phone photo to WhatsApp neighbours and auto-rickshaw stands.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Police need height, weight, clothing, and "may not answer to name."
When and how to get professional help.
Any missing dementia patient is high risk — report without delay day or night.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Activate police and community search. Medical decisions after safe return.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — 112 and local police station. Mention dementia and medical vulnerability.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Hospitals receive confused walk-ins — call ER desks in area.
Dangerous actions, when not to attempt rescue, and common myths.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT assume they will return on their own overnight.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT search only far away — most are within 1.6 km.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — They always come back like they did last time
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Each wander event risk increases — traffic and water kill quickly.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Waiting overnight before police report.
Other scenarios in the same family.
Trapped in cave
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person or group is stuck in a cave because of flooding, rockfall, lost passages, or equipment failure.
Confined space
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person is stuck inside a tank, silo, pit, manhole, or storage container with limited air and exit.
Mud or quicksand
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person is sinking or stuck in deep mud, quicksand, tidal flat, or liquefied soil and cannot free themselves.
Separated, no signal
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Family or group members are apart during disaster or remote travel and mobile networks are dead or overloaded.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Hypothermia, dehydration, and injury common after 12 hours missing.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Medical review after return even if seemingly fine.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Search the places they go on normal walks only
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Dementia wanderers often head toward long-past addresses or straight lines into hazards.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Missing person in drainage or highway median while family checks park loop.