Action needed to prevent harm to dementia patients going missing, say researchers

Yui Mok/PA Wire

By Emma Wilkinson

One in 10 times that a person with dementia goes missing results in serious harm, according to UK research which concludes that services need to provide more targeted risk assessment.

The analysis of police-recorded incidents in two regions over a six-year period found that 414 (27%) out of 1540 missing person reports in the over 65s involved people with dementia.

The figures could well be an underestimate, noted the researchers, because there may be incidents that weren’t reported, some missing people may have been undiagnosed or their condition may not have been recorded.

Among those with dementia, 9% of missing person incidents resulted in significant harm such as serious injuries, including one recorded death, the team reported in the journal Age and Ageing.

The findings highlight the need for preventative action to keep people with dementia safe, the researchers said.

Study lead, Dr Vasiliki Orgeta, associate professor in the mental health of old people at UCL Division of Psychiatry, said: “Missing incidents are not entirely uncommon among people with dementia and they can pose meaningful risks, yet this risk is not adequately addressed by health and social care services.”