Anne, who has dementia, went missing from her Mt Albert care centre yesterday morning. She was found 18km away this morning.
Anne, who has dementia, went missing from her Mt Albert care centre yesterday morning. She was found 18km away this morning.
An Auckland woman missing since she walked out of her dementia care centre has been found 18km away.
Linda, who goes by her middle name, Anne, has dementia and went missing from Mt Albert Everil Orr Care Centre about 11.30am yesterday.
The 67-year-old was found just after 8am today, herson, Adam Millar, told the Herald.
“Thanks to the power of media and a wonderful community keeping eyes peeled. Three calls to me and many more to police when spotted on Highbrook Drive just past 8am.
“When asked where she spent the night, she said, ‘Just at home’. Of course [not]!”
“We’re feeling lost and confused ourselves ... I feel worried, a bit sick and nauseous.”
However, they were buoyed by the “lovely people in the community who know Anne, [and] have shared messages of support and what they’re doing, which we’re grateful for”.
Anne's son Adam Millar thanked "all the lovely people in the community" for their help in finding his mother.
Anne was last seen wearing black pants, grey mid-calf Uggs, a cream hoodie and a pink shirt underneath, police said last night.
Millar wrote on Facebook last night that his mother is 155cm tall, with a small build and long brown/blonde ponytail.
“She has no phone, wallet [or] keys on her person and is able to walk quite quickly – last time she wandered, she covered 2km in about 24 minutes.
“If you are in Mt Albert, Avondale, Sandringham, Point Chevalier, Waterview or nearby suburbs, please keep an eye out and call 111 immediately if you see her.”
He said his mother could be heading towards Howick to her old home, and that she was a “smart, wily person and a humble and proud person, and if she’s found, she’ll say she won’t need any help”.
“But she will. She can’t really say much more than that with her memory issues … if someone finds her, please keep her warm, keep her safe and sheltered and phone the police.”
This morning, before she was found, Millar said his mother would likely be very tired, weak and confused, and possibly slurring her words.
“[She’ll be] hungry and thirsty but may not eat or drink if offered [and she] may have picked up extra layers to keep warm.”
He urged Aucklanders to look around their properties and keep watch on their commute.
“Check your backyards … keep an eye out in bushes, sheds, carports and other quiet sheltered spots where she may have tried to rest or hide. She may appear dishevelled, and could be mistaken for someone homeless. Please look twice at anyone you walk past.
“And don’t be afraid to call the police … on 111 if you find her. They know what they’re doing.”
Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.
