"In Spotsylvania, VA, a 67-year-old man wandered from his home on New Year's Eve.  In Oldham County, KY, a 77-year-old woman disappeared in sub-freezing temperatures in mid-January without a jacket or shoes.  And yesterday, an 87-year-old resident of Watertown, CT left her home barefoot in the blizzard.  All of them suffered from Alzheimer's disease."²

Every year there are an estimated 125,000 reports of critical wanderers – Alzheimer’s patients who leave the safety of their home and caregivers, unwilling or unable to return. If not found within 24 hours statistics indicate that they have only a 56% chance of survival.

Sixty percent of those with Alzheimer’s disease attempt to leave home (elope) at least once during the course of their disease. And for those who succeed, 72% attempt to do so again.

Marianne Dickerman Caldwell, author of Gone ... Without a Trace: the story of Stella, her mother, who left home never to return again, explains, “Most people believe that having a family member vanish will never happen to them. Those who fall victim to this trauma consequently are caught unaware of what to do. No one is exempt from the possibility of it happening to them. Each year in the United States, approximately 1.8 million persons are reported missing. Many remain missing.”

In Search of the Alzheimer’s Wanderer is a powerful workbook and resource for facilities, caregivers and families of loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease (or a related dementia) who may be prone to wandering away from home and a training guide for law enforcement. It asks insightful, personal and Alzheimer’s-specific questions that act as a tool to:

• identify, compile and make available important, potentially life-saving information;
• maximize the likelihood of finding a missing person with Alzheimer’s;
• provide valuable information to help calm and communicate with your loved one once they are found; and
• help law enforcement personnel better understand your loved one and the unique demands that their condition imposes.

In Search of the Alzheimer’s Wanderer is scheduled for publication by Purdue University Press in September, 2005. For more information or to purchase a copy call (800) 752-3238 or send an e-mail to ewarner@alzstore.com.