Wandering Safety Plan Dementia Wisconsin

Why Wandering Plans Are Non-Negotiable

Around 60% of people with dementia will wander at some point during the disease. If a wandering person is not found within 24 hours, the risk of serious injury or death exceeds 50%. These are not worst-case projections — they are baseline statistics. A wandering safety plan is as essential as a medication list or a power of attorney.

The challenge is that wandering behavior is unpredictable. A parent who has never left the house unattended can suddenly walk out at 3 a.m. in January. The plan needs to be in place before the first incident, not after.

Step 1: Complete the TIME Missing Person Worksheet

The TIME Missing Person Worksheet is a standardized form used by Wisconsin law enforcement during missing person searches. Completing it in advance and filing a copy with your local police department saves critical minutes during an emergency.

The worksheet captures:

• Current physical description (height, weight, hair color, identifying marks)
• Behavioral patterns and common destinations
• Medical conditions and medications
• Emergency contact information
• A recent, clear photograph

Update the worksheet every six months — physical appearance and behavioral patterns change as dementia progresses. Keep a printed copy in the home, one in your car, and one filed with the police department.

Step 2: Register with Local Safety Programs

Project Lifesaver equips individuals with a small radio-frequency transmitter worn on the wrist or ankle. When the person goes missing, search teams use directional antennas to locate the signal, often finding the person within 30 minutes. Not every Wisconsin county participates, but many sheriff departments offer the program. Contact your county sheriff's office directly and ask whether Project Lifesaver or a similar tracking initiative is available.

Several county ADRCs and sheriff departments maintain local Safety Registries — secure databases where families pre-register physical descriptions, emergency contacts, and photographs. If your parent goes missing, responding officers access the registry immediately rather than waiting for the family to provide details under stress.

Wisconsin Crime Alert Network (WCAN) registration is free and available to any Wisconsin resident. Registering ensures you receive Silver Alert and Missing Endangered Person Alert notifications. More practically, it familiarizes you with the system before you ever need to use it from the other side.

Step 3: Home and Facility Security Measures

For parents living at home, basic modifications reduce wandering risk without creating a prison-like environment:

• Door and motion sensors that alert caregivers when exterior doors open, particularly overnight
• Childproof covers on doorknobs — low-tech but effective for many individuals with moderate dementia
• Camouflage techniques such as painting exit doors the same color as surrounding walls or placing a dark mat in front of the door (many people with dementia perceive dark floor coverings as holes and avoid stepping on them)
• Removing car keys and disabling vehicles if driving is no longer safe

For parents in a CBRF memory care unit, Wisconsin licensing requires secured units to integrate egress alarm systems with the facility's fire alarm — doors must unlock automatically during fire, power outage, or emergency events. Ask the facility administrator how their secured-unit exit system works before admission.

Step 4: GPS Tracking Devices

Dedicated GPS trackers for people with dementia come in several forms: wristbands, pendants, shoe insoles, and clip-on devices. They differ from Project Lifesaver in that GPS devices are purchased privately and use cellular networks rather than radio frequencies.

When evaluating options, prioritize devices that offer:

• Geofencing alerts — notifications when the wearer leaves a defined safe zone
• Real-time location tracking accessible from a smartphone
• Long battery life — devices requiring daily charging are impractical for someone who removes unfamiliar objects
• Water resistance — critical for outdoor wear in Wisconsin weather

The Alzheimer's Family Caregiver Support Program (AFCSP) may fund assistive devices including GPS trackers. AFCSP provides up to $4,000 annually per family member, and the program deducts all out-of-pocket care costs from the $48,000 income threshold before determining eligibility. Ask your ADRC options counselor whether a GPS tracker qualifies as an assistive technology purchase under your county's AFCSP guidelines.

Building All of This Into One Plan

The Wisconsin Dementia & Memory Care Guide includes a Wandering Safety Response Kit with pre-formatted emergency contacts cards, a Silver Alert activation checklist, and a printable version of every document referenced above. It is structured so you can complete the entire safety plan in a single sitting rather than piecing together forms from multiple county and state websites.

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