When “Eloping” Isn’t Romantic: 7 Steps for Elopement Safety
Elopement.
We usually think of Vegas chapels or courthouse weddings, two people in love running off to make a promise. But in dementia and disability care — “elopement” isn’t romantic at all. It’s dangerous.
The CDC defines it as “when someone leaves a safe area or a responsible caregiver.” Sometimes they slip out the front door. Sometimes they wander so quietly that no one notices until the house is too quiet, until they’re gone.
And it’s not rare. In the last few months alone, there have been several “Silver Alerts” issued for missing Indiana children and endangered adults. From 2019 to 2024, the Clearinghouse for Missing Children and Missing Endangered Adults reported an average of 112 Silver Alerts every year in Indiana.
Not every missing person makes the news. But in July 2025, an 89-year-woman of Posey County did. She left home in the morning, a Silver Alert was issued, and by the evening she had been found deceased in a vehicle nearby.
This is every caregiver’s nightmare.
Why It Happens (and Why It’s Not Your Fault)
Families caring for a loved one with dementia or autism often face two related challenges: wandering and elopement. Wandering might look like restless pacing inside the home. Elopement is when the door closes behind them and they begin roaming outside of the home.
- People with dementia, autism, or other cognitive impairments may lose track of place or time. What was familiar becomes unfamiliar.
- They may not recognize danger, or have the language/capacity to ask for help.
- They may wander due to anxiety, confusion, sensory triggers, or simply following an impulse that feels urgent.
- Family members may not realize just how high the risk is, until they’ve been down the nightmare path of searching.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about risk. And risk can be managed.
The Balancing Act: Safety and Dignity
Here’s the paradox: keeping someone safe shouldn’t mean stripping away the very independence they cherish.
Your father doesn’t want to be treated like a child. Your partner doesn’t want to be tagged and tracked.
But their safety matters. And dignity matters too. So you do things quietly, lovingly: an AirTag hidden in a shoe, a GPS watch disguised as an ordinary one, a high lock that looks like part of the doorframe. Behind the safeguards is the real work: keeping trust intact.
Elopement Safety Plan: Seven Practical Steps
Here are things families can do (and often should do together, or with professional advice) to add layers of protection. Some are tech-based. Some are low tech. All are worth considering.
1. Tracking devices
- Place an AirTag or similar in a shoe insert. No one needs to know but you.
- GPS watches designed for people with dementia — lightweight, discreet, reliable.
- Pathfinders for Autism has collated a series of other tracking devices to help address wandering/elopement.
2. Alerts on the house
- Door/window sensors that send a notification or trigger alarm.
- High locks, out of reach — combined with caregiver routines that check before doors are opened.
3. Wearable identifiers
- Bracelets or anklets with essential data: name, contact, medical condition.
- QR-code wristbands or watch bands: scan, and someone can reach you immediately. (Check out the CARES ID Bracelet)
4. Cell phones with tracking
- Phones set up so that distances trigger alerts to family.
- Simple interfaces (for non-verbal or low-communication individuals) or phones tailored for safety.
5. Community & first responders
- Share a current photo and health information with local police, fire, EMS.
- Build relationships so that responders know your loved one, understand the risks.
6. Clothing labels
- Name, phone number sewn or written on clothes. Simple but often overlooked.
7. Backup systems
- Combine several strategies. If one fails or is discovered, having another reduces risk.
- Reassess over time: what works when, and what stops working, what needs to be replaced.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
A great caregiving company will focus on prevention as well as care — helping families design safety strategies that fit their loved one’s needs, opening conversations with doctors and first responders so everyone is on the same page, and connecting caregivers with resources like training, devices, and home adaptations.
Caregiving is heavy work. And no one should have to carry it alone. Want to learn more about how Guardian Care supports our families? Get started here.
Your Call to Action
If you’re reading this, maybe you already know the fear: your parent, your child, your partner, gone in the middle of the night or in the middle of the day.
Don’t wait. Start tonight. Pick one safety measure, one conversation, one action.
Vigilance matters. Planning matters. And love, the kind that protects, the kind that acts, matters most of all.