Lost: Lost Patient

“Staff, may I have your attention, please!” The Director had called a meeting to make an urgent announcement to the Nursing Home staff. It appeared no one had been able to find Zack, an eighty-one year old patient with severe Alzheimer’s disease. He was not in his room at six am when morning medications were distributed.

Several hours later, he was still missing.

Everyone appeared stunned. This did not happen in a high-class nursing home!

“Zack is lost?” someone whispered.

“He may have wandered away during the night.”

“He was confined to the locked ward because he used to drink heavily.”

“His eyesight is not good so he may have gone outside.”

“How can anyone get lost around here?”

“How did he get past the locked doors?”

“Where would he have gone?”

“Maybe he went to the liquor store?”

“How did he get out without being spotted on our security cameras?”

The Director of the Nursing Home had alerted the police, as well as the hospital emergency department immediately. She also telephoned his family and scheduled an appointment with them.

“Staff, please do not panic,” she advised them. “Everything here must continue as normal. Alzheimer’s patients frequently get lost, because they try to go home to wherever they lived in the past. Those are the most vivid memories that they have. The police will be here shortly, with a tracking dog, so if someone can bring me something that might carry his scent, like a well-worn pair of his shoes, that might help. Check his room and make a list of what is missing in terms of his clothing or valuables. See if he took his coat, hat and boots. Look for his denture and glasses, as well.”

She continued.  

“Security is checking all of the buildings and grounds. He cannot have gone too far on his own, unless he managed to get out to the bus stop, or someone picked him up. Check his medication record, and see when he had his last medications and treatments.”

The Director paused, momentarily.

“Staff, there is a high degree of urgency here, as Zack also has Type 1 Diabetes and needs his insulin.”