‘Where are you going?’

Background: This study examines caregivers’ use of ‘where are you going?’ in Mandarin and Taiwanese to address residents’ wandering-related actions in routine caregiving interactions. Method: Using multimodal conversation analysis, video recordings of interactions between Taiwanese residents and caregivers from Taiwan and Vietnam are analyzed. Results: ‘Where are you going?’ accomplishes the following institutional actions: this turn signals residents’ actions as problematic; simultaneously, it aims to halt residents’ actions, draw residents’ attention, and/or hold residents accountable for their actions. Residents respond in one of four ways, suggesting their distinct understandings of the same turn: [+/– halt] and [+/– account]. The caregivers’ subsequent actions indicate their institutional orientation as caregivers. In particular, helping the residents to walk or move their bodies relies on resident–caregiver collaboration. Discussion/conclusion: This study demonstrates wandering and its management from an emic (participant-oriented) perspective and presents ‘where are you going?’ as a practical non-pharmacological intervention.