ArticleBMC geriatrics2025
Missing incidents and the risk of harm in persons living with dementia reported to the Swedish police- A nationwide retrospective registry study.
Article in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Alert Systems for People Living with Dementia who go Missing: Case Studies in Canada, Scotland, and the United States.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieres · 2026Article
- Prevention and preparedness for missing episodes in the care of persons living with dementia in Sweden - a document study.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Characteristics of missing incidents and risk factors for harm for older people with and without dementia in the UK.Age and ageing · 2026Article
- Impact of a police safeguarding program on reducing dementia-related missing incidents in the United Kingdom.Innovation in aging · 2026Article
- Using Crowdsourcing Internet of Things Technology to Reduce Caregiver Worry in Dementia-Related Lost Episodes: Longitudinal Observational Study.JMIR human factors · 2025Observational
- Lived experiences of missing with dementia and pathways to care: a qualitative study of carers' and professionals' perspectives.Age and ageing · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe number of persons living with dementia is increasing globally, including in Sweden, and these persons are at heightened risk of going missing and coming to harm. When they do go missing, the police get involved. There is a dearth of knowledge surrounding the prevalence and outcomes of harm in these instances in many countries, including Sweden, which affects our understanding of the associated risks and necessary interventions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe incidents of missing people and explore factors associated with harm in persons living with dementia as reported to the Swedish Police.
methodsData on background characteristics, the missing incidents, and police response was collected from a nationwide police registry. The missing incidents were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with harm.
resultsA total of 1,041 missing person case reports concerning persons living with dementia were identified. In 61 (6%) of these reports, the missing person was harmed. The level of harm varied from lacerations to death. Male sex, no prior missing incidents, cold season, time since last contact, delayed reporting, and prolonged duration of police search effort were significantly associated with an increased probability of harm.
conclusionsPersons living with dementia constituted a substantial proportion of all missing persons case reports submitted to the Swedish Police during the study period. Persons living with dementia were also at considerable risk of harm when missing, as even minor injuries can lead to substantial consequences. Furthermore, time was a critical factor, emerging as the strongest predictor of harm in the study. This calls for the development of collaborative routines between the police and professional caregivers caring for persons living with dementia.
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