Imagine, for a moment, a loss of control, a sense of confusion and a fear of what you thought was a familiar place. For some seniors with dementia, that experience is a reality each day.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, six in 10 people with dementia will wander, and if not found within 24 hours, up to half will suffer serious injury or death.

Losing a missing family member or friend can be a tragic experience.

That was the case for 89-year old Kay Braget’s family. Baget drove off with her car and was reported missing March 16.

According to police, Braget showed early signs of dementia.

Her car was found on a partially constructed roadway northeast of the Evergreen neighbourhood. A canine unit discovered her body a short distance from her vehicle, police said in a media release.

The investigation into Braget’s death is ongoing, but police say they do not suspect foul play.

The Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan’s first link coordinator, Alice Germann, says every moment is crucial when a client with dementia wanders off.

“In the summertime, it’s not such a big deal, but when it’s minus 50 degrees out, that hour can make a difference on whether or not you find the person,” Germann said.

New technologies now allow search teams to locate dementia patients in more efficient ways.

With the push of a button, the Phillips Lifeline device can locate a person within five metres of their location.

Program manager with Phillips Lifeline in Saskatchewan, Terri Berglund, said the device uses GPS signals to find people registered in their database.

“It’s a personal help button they wear on their wrist or around their neck,” she said.

“To get help they press the button, and it goes straight to our communicator centre in Toronto in under 30 seconds, so they can get the help they need.”

Berglund said Phillips Lifeline is in the works to become designated as a wandering device in the near future.

Among other tools include The Missing Seniors Network to help locate wandering patients.

The online website allows family and friends to register a senior with dementia.

If that senior goes missing, the entire network is notified, said co-owner of Home Instead Senior Care, Greg Charyna.

“The hope and the belief is that the people that are closest to you know your mom and dad the best,” Charyna said. “They might be more prone to know where that person travelled to.”

Travelling alone on the streets of Saskatoon can be scary for seniors who become unaware of their surroundings.

The Saskatoon Police Service is conducting a pilot project right now involving a vulnerable persons registry.

The project currently focuses on people with autism, but the hope is to expand it down the road to include those with dementia, said Det. Const. Chris Harris.

"It's a problem that's not going to go away, so if we can find ways to solve these matters in a more exponential way and hopefully have happier endings in the future, I can't see why we wouldn't want to be a part of that.”

For now, the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan has organized a special “Minds in Motion” program to help seniors live comfortable with different forms of dementia.

Germann said the clients lift weights and participate in social activities together each week.

“It really empowers them to show them that they can come out, that they can be physically active still, they can be socially stimulated, and mentally stimulated,” she said.