Members of the community helped a lost mum with dementia to find her way back home, after she went missing from her house on Sunday, March 1.
Anita Swan, 81, who was recently diagnosed with mixed Alzheimer and vascular dementia was nowhere to be found after her husband realised she had left from their back garden and gone for a walk.
She had managed to open the gate which he thought was secure, Mr. Swan quickly asked his daughter for help.
Daughter Paula Feighery said: “Initially I wasn’t too concerned as I thought she either would not go far or would go to the shops as she always did.
“But after having driven around for 40 minutes searching all the places I thought she’d go, and routes I thought she might have taken, I started to feel extremely concerned.
“She is also diabetic and has two daily insulin injections. I headed back towards my parents’ house thinking it was time to alert the police and on arrival, there she was, going into the house with two police officers.
“We were so relieved to have her home and couldn’t be more grateful to the police, who were so lovely, but also to all the kind people who showed concern for my mum and called the police.”
The officers picked up Anita about 1.5 miles away near The Marchmont Arms, after they received calls from concerned members of the public for her being on the road.
This is not the first time an incident like this happened. Over the past two years, Anita started to become more forgetful, confused and started acting strangely, on New Year’s Eve she left her house at 3am in her nightdress but didn’t go too far.
Paula continued: “We’ve been adjusting to a new way of living with the help of carers. My dad has health issues too, and is housebound, so he can’t move anywhere quickly.
“Mum always went out to the shops on her own and still wants to do so but now gets so confused that we haven’t allowed her to for the last few months.
“Mum could not have walked back that far, had no money and can’t use a phone.”
Anita has now got a new emergency pendant and her family is looking into tracking devices. Their gate has also got a new lock.
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