Anyone who has cared for a family member or loved one with Alzheimer’s knows that patients can occasionally wander off and become lost. In Dusseldorf, Germany, the Benrath Senior Center has addressed the problem by erecting a fake bus stop right outside the facility to detain residents who stray.

Richard Neureither, Benrath’s director, says center residents intent on returning to often nonexistent homes and families frequently make a beeline for the green-and-yellow bus stop sign and are easily corralled. “Five minutes later, they have completely forgotten they wanted to leave,” Neureither says.

In light of Benrath’s success, other German facilities for older adults have put up bus stop replicas.