Understanding Alzheimer's and wandering

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By Christy Hutchings - bio | email

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - We're seeing it all too often, people suffering for Alzheimer's wandering off. No signs of where they went, just that they were here one minute and gone the next.

"They're going to go until something stops them," said Jenny House with the Alzheimer's Association, "Either they're driving a car, they're going to go until they run out of gas or until they hit something. If they're walking they're just going to go. In their mind they have a former obligation to meet."

House says a lot of times it's something from their past. They could be looking for a child they believe is lost, or going to a job they don't have any more.

It could be anything, leaving it impossible for people searching to know where to begin or if they're even close. "We may call for them, we may yell for them and usually they're going to go in the opposite direction," said House about searching for Alzheimer's patient.

It all happens so fast. Many times family's know their loved one is suffering for Alzheimer's, but don't realize how far it's progressed or in Elaine Mitchell's case; she didn't know her husband had Alzheimer's until he disappeared with their four grandchildren.

"It was very horrible, sitting, waiting; we didn't know what happened or what could have happened," said Mitchell.

Mitchell's husband was helping their daughter move to South Carolina. His daughter was in a car in front of him, as she exited he didn't and kept going down Interstate 95. For two days no one knew where he was or his grandchildren.

"You just can't imagine all the things that go through your mind and just how you feel. It felt like we were just empty. You want to do something but what," said Mitchell.

Luckily Mitchell's husband called home and everyone made it home safely, but it doesn't always work out this way. So far this year at least two people in our area have died from wandering off

See, Body of missing woman found

House says we're seeing more and more people diagnosed with Alzheimer's every year that's why they're urging the public to step up.

"This is really a call for help to say, be aware. If you see a confused elderly person to try to keep them safe while you make a call to police or the Alzheimer's association and try to get them to safety," said House.

Before they wander off any farther than they already have.

House says the best way to protect an Alzheimer's patient is to get them registered with the safe return program. It has a 97 percent success rate that way if your loved one goes missing, they have all their personal information on file, ready to help police.

For more information on Safe Return, log on to www.alz.org/safereturn

To learn more about Alzheimer's Association in Savannah and services they offer call 920-2231.