SynthesisAge and ageing2026
Supporting safe walking and managing missing incidents in dementia: a qualitative narrative synthesis of current evidence.
Synthesis in Age and ageing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPeople with dementia are at risk of going missing while walking outdoors, which can significantly affect their safety and well-being. However, evidence on their lived experiences during such incidents, as well as on strategies that may improve care remain limited.
aimTo conduct a narrative synthesis of qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences and preferences of people with dementia, family carers and professionals in relation to strategies for supporting safe walking and preventing missing episodes in both community and residential care settings.
methodsFour electronic databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL) were systematically searched up to April 2025. Studies were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative research checklist. A narrative synthesis framework was adapted to explore themes emerging within and among studies.
resultsOf the 19 207 articles identified, 25 met the inclusion criteria. Four themes emerged: (a) emotional impact of missing episodes, (b) safe walking as a fundamental need for people with dementia, (c) existing strategies for safe walking and responding to missing episodes and (d) experiences of using technological solutions to prevent and manage missing incidents.
conclusionsPreventive and reactive strategies, including technological devices, can promote safe walking for people with dementia. There is an urgent need to embed safe walking plans within dementia care packages to mitigate harms associated with missing incidents. Initiatives that raise awareness of risk among people with dementia, carers and professionals should form a core component of clinical practice.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.