Return Home

When a loved one with dementia or memory loss goes missing, the experience can be frightening and overwhelming. At MedicAlert, we understand the emotional toll of these moments—not just during the incident, but in the lingering worry that it could happen again. 

Through our Return Home initiative, we are working to reduce that worry by developing supports and services that help keep people safe. But to do this, we need your help. 

Why We Care About Wandering 

Wandering is a common yet unpredictable behaviour among individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias—in fact, nearly 60% of people with dementia will wander at some point. These wandering incidents can happen without warning and can sometimes place individuals at serious risk if they become lost or disoriented.  

However, each wandering incident contains vital clues—what triggered it, when and where it happened, and how the individual was found. These details are essential to: 

• Identify patterns or causes that may lead to future wandering. 

• Update a person’s MedicAlert Health Profile, which first responders use in emergencies. 

• Guide development of technologies and services that prevent or better respond to future incidents. 

• Support families and care partners with personalized strategies and resources. 

How You Can Help 

If your loved one is a MedicAlert subscriber and has recently had a wandering incident, please let us know. We would like to invite you or any other care partner in the circle of care to take part in a Return Home Discussion—a brief, supportive 15–20 minute conversation conducted by phone or, if preferred, online. 

During this conversation, we’ll explore what happened in a respectful, non-judgmental way. Your participation will: 

• Help improve the safety of your loved one and others at risk. 

• Inform how we train first responders and enhance our Safe & Found Program. 

• Support the development of new tools to predict and prevent wandering incidents more effectively, including learning education modules.  

What Happens After You Report 

Once we know about the incident, our team will reach out to offer a Return Home Discussion. Whether you choose to complete it by phone or online, we will use your input to: 

• Update the subscriber’s health and safety information. 

• Strengthen response plans and preventive measures. 

• Keep you up to date on any future tools or supports as we develop them.  

Your experience matters. With your help, we can reduce the burden felt by many caregivers—and make every return home safer. 

If you would like more information about the Return Home initiative or to schedule a call, please email us at programs@medicalert.ca.