Roughly six in ten people living with dementia wander at some point. Here is how Florida's Silver Alert system works, what to set up before an emergency, and when wandering signals it is time to change the care setting.
By Orlando Senior Advisor Care Team · October 2, 2026
Wandering is common in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. A parent may be looking for a former home, trying to get to a job that ended decades ago, or simply restless and disoriented. They often do not recognize that they are lost, and may not answer to their own name or ask for help.
In Central Florida the risks are specific. Heat and humidity can cause dehydration or heat illness within hours, and the region is full of retention ponds, canals and lakes. Busy roads such as Colonial Drive, Orange Blossom Trail and US-192 add traffic danger. A person who is missing for a long period faces much greater risk of serious injury, so the first hour matters.
Watch for early warning signs: returning from a routine walk later than expected, trying to leave the house at night, talking about going home while already home, repeatedly checking doors, or becoming agitated in the late afternoon. Any of these is a signal to act before an actual incident.
Florida's Silver Alert program is coordinated through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and local law enforcement. It helps broadcast information about a missing person with a documented impairment such as dementia, using highway message signs, media and other channels. A Silver Alert is activated by law enforcement, not by the family, so your first call should be 911.
Tell the dispatcher at once that your parent has dementia. Be ready with a recent photo, height, weight, clothing, medications, and places that matter to them, such as a former workplace, church or old neighborhood. Criteria for activation are set by the state, and local law enforcement decides whether they are met, so give as much detail as you can.
Keep a one-page 'missing person' sheet with this information in an easy-to-find place and on your phone. It saves precious minutes when you are panicking.
Medical ID jewelry, clothing labels with a phone number, and a card in a wallet help strangers return a confused person safely. Consumer GPS devices, including wearable watches, shoe insertions and pendants, can help families locate a parent quickly. Choose a device your parent will actually keep on, and test its battery and coverage regularly.
Many sheriff's offices around Florida run or support programs that give at-risk residents a wearable locator and trained search help. Ask the Orange, Seminole, Osceola or Lake County Sheriff's Office whether it offers such a program and how to enroll. Availability and requirements can change, so call to confirm.
At home, door chimes, motion sensors, and alarms on exterior doors can alert you. Place a visual barrier like a mural or dark mat in front of doors if it helps, and keep keys out of sight. Tell neighbors about the risk and give them your phone number. Never lock a person in a room or house in a way that blocks emergency exit.
If your parent has left home more than once, or you cannot supervise them safely around the clock, it is reasonable to look at memory care. Florida-licensed assisted living facilities that offer memory care typically have secured entries, staff trained in dementia care and alarmed doors. Ask any community what happens when a resident exits, how often staff check on residents overnight, and what training staff receive.
Adult day programs can give a caregiver a safe daytime break, and in-home care can add supervision. Neither replaces a plan for nights and weekends. If caregiver exhaustion is part of the picture, our guides to respite care and caregiver burnout cover options.
Our team can help you compare licensed memory care communities across Orlando and the surrounding counties, and explain how payment options like Medicaid waivers or VA benefits might apply.
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