Is this an emergency?
Not sure which? Walk down this page. Stop at the first section that matches.
Call 911 now
- They are missing. Say “a person with dementia is missing.” This changes how fast the response is. Then search nearby: favorite places, the old workplace, the way to a former home.
- A fall with injury, a blow to the head, or they can't get up.
- Signs of stroke: sudden face droop, one-sided weakness, garbled or lost speech.
- Trouble breathing, chest pain, a seizure, or unresponsive.
- Anyone is in physical danger, including you. Leave the room first, then call.
Tell responders about the dementia right away. It changes how they approach, question, and treat.
Swallowed something that isn't food?
- Call Poison Help first: 1-800-222-1222. Free, confidential, answered around the clock by your regional poison center. Soap, mouthwash, someone else's pills, cleaning products, a houseplant: they know exactly which ones matter and which don't.
- Keep the container in your hand. They'll ask what it was, about how much, and when. Mention the dementia so they know self-report is unreliable.
- Don't make them vomit. Do exactly what the poison expert says instead; with many products, vomiting does more harm.
- Collapsed, seizing, trouble breathing, or can't be woken: that's 911, not the poison line.
Call the doctor today
- Confusion that got suddenly worse, over hours or a few days. This is the big one caregivers miss: sudden change is usually not the dementia. It's often a urinary tract infection, another infection, dehydration, or a medication problem, and it's treatable. Say the words: “This is a sudden change from their normal.”
- New hallucinations in someone who never had them.
- A fall even without obvious injury, if they take blood thinners.
- Stopped drinking fluids, dark urine, dizziness.
- Missed critical medication (heart, diabetes, seizure) more than a day.
- New violence or extreme agitation that came out of nowhere. Think pain or infection first.
Not urgent, but don't carry it alone
- You're at your edge: exhausted, hopeless, or scared of your own temper. That is a real emergency of a different kind. The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) is free, answers around the clock every day of the year, and is staffed by masters-level clinicians who have heard everything and judge nothing. More than 200 languages available.
- Dark thoughts about not wanting to be here: in the U.S., call or text 988, anytime.
- Finding local help (respite, adult day programs, meals, transport): the Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116 (Mon–Fri) connects you to your Area Agency on Aging. State-by-state numbers live on the resources page.
- Everything else (the repeating questions, the bathing fights) lives on the Help now page, one tap away.
The hospital survival guide covers the go-bag, staying with them, hospital delirium, the inpatient-or-observation question, and how to fight a discharge that comes too soon.
Two wallet cards worth printing today
Print, cut, and tuck one in your wallet and one in theirs. The first smooths a hundred public moments; the second, if your person has (or may have) Lewy body dementia, can prevent a hospital catastrophe, because ERs reach for exactly the drugs LBD can't tolerate.
My companion has dementia. They may say or do unexpected things. Please be patient with us. Thank you for your kindness.
Caregiver: ______________ Phone: ______________
I have suspected Lewy body dementia (LBD). Do NOT give antipsychotics (e.g., haloperidol/Haldol) without consulting my neurologist. People with LBD can have severe, life-threatening reactions.
Neurologist: ______________ Family: ______________
The one rule that catches most hidden emergencies: compare to their normal, not to “normal.” Gradual change over months is usually the disease. Sudden change over hours or days usually isn't, and sudden change is a phone call, today.