AN elderly woman with Alzheimer’s was found wandering into a swampy area in Tampa, Florida.
She was rescued from the gloomy water by Hillsborough County Sheriff deputies who received a concerned call on August 10 about a missing woman.
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Luckily, the police were able to find her after the call came in, at around 2am, but the missing woman appeared confused by the deputies.
When first approached she waved her rescuers away and attempted to dismiss them.
Body camera footage recorded an officer saying: “Ma’am come on, let’s go. We’ve got to get you out of here.
“We’re going to get you home ma’am.”
They were able to track the woman down through infrared cameras and aviation, which pinpointed her in the woods to the right of her home.
Using flashlights as they approached the 3400 block of Reynoldswood Drive and used flashlights to find her precise location.
The deputies held her hand and tried speaking to her in Spanish saying ‘ven, vamos’ which translates to ‘come, lets go.’
When she got close enough to her rescuers, a deputy in Spanish said: “I am going to lift you.”
The woman replied: “OK.”
She was picked by one of the officers and carried to safety, unharmed with one officer saying ‘watch your step Troy’ as they left the swampy waters.
Alzheimer’s disease is a common disease, especially in older people, which affects multiple brain functions.
The cause of Alzheimer’s isn’t fully known yet but it is the most common cause of dementia and can have an impact on memory and cognitive ability.
The NHS states the top symptom of Alzheimer’s is ‘confusion, disorientation and getting lost in familiar places.’
It also can create issues with mobility, speech, and potentially lead to hallucinations.
As it stands there is no cure for Alzheimer’s and it is treated through tackling symptoms and preventative measures.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said: “I am beyond thankful and relieved we were able to locate and rescue this missing woman quickly.
“This incident highlights our specialised units and technology’s critical role in ensuring the safety of our community. Our team’s dedication to service and swift response made all the difference in bringing her home safely.”
Is it ageing or dementia?
Dementia – the most common form of which is Alzheimer’s – comes on slowly over time.
As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe.
But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing.
The US National Institute on Aging gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in old age, and dementia disease.
You can refer to these above.
For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulting having conversation would be more indicative of dementia.
Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Information Services team, previously told The Sun: “We quite commonly as humans put our car keys somewhere out of the ordinary and it takes longer for us to find them.
“As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door.
“That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age.
“In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house.
“What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn’t belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.”