Following an incident last week in which a South Portland police officer came across a 75-year-old male with dementia walking around Mill Creek at 2 a.m., the department is reminding residents of its impaired memory registration program.

The man, who was from Portland, was safely returned to his residence, but in a Facebook post, the South Portland police said that with wandering being a common behavior among people with dementia, it would behoove caregivers to register their loved ones.

In the post the police department wrote, “There are times when the memory (or) communication-impaired individual becomes separated from his family or caregiver. To assist police officers in locating these individuals, the South Portland Police Department has an Impaired Memory Registration Program.”

Memory impairment could be the result of a head injury, a stroke, dementia, autism or other conditions. According to the police department, statistics show that approximately 5.2 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s disease alone.

It is projected that another 10 million baby boomers will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and nearly 5.1 million people in the U.S. have some form of autism.

“The definition of dementia is the loss or decline in memory or cognitive skills that interfere with everyday life independence and is due to damaged brain cells from a disease, medical condition or injury,” the Facebook post said.

To register a memory-impaired individual with the South Portland Police Department, go to www.southportland.org/departments/police-department/community-programs/impaired-memory-registration or call 799-5511 for more information about the program.