The Great Dental Escape

[DTCwordfan]

Oh what fun and games we have had this afternoon. I know that we don't like going to the dentist. However!

Picture a nice lunch with my mother and sister, Lady J knows the place, the Lemon Tree in Truro, a walk then via a couple of shops for potential birthday gifts and over to the main street through 'Squeezeguts Alley' - I jest not.

My sister left us there to head off to the White Co and we went to the dentist in another cut-through.

Upstairs, the mater wanted the loo, on the outside of the suite, so I went into register her. The next thing is was that she hadn't appeared - no sign of her in the window, though that isn't large.

It's the Great Dental Escape time.

I end up going outside and a scour around, no luck, back to the office. Then a guy who was accompanying his wife, who had recently been mugged volunteered to help me, one of the nurses looking after her.

No luck, two big sweeps achieved, basically in the shape of a pumping heart.

Back to the office, the police called, and the search begins. 40 officers notified, CCTV cameras to be looked at, buses and taxi drivers put on alert. I went over to Tescos and alerted them, that being one of the potential base camps that she may have struck out for.

Back to the dental office, an officer there, and after more details, it's agreed that I should check the two possible main routes back to the house. Up the more walkable one, one walker and car stopped, no sightings up there. Out onto the main road, Janine will know the steepness of Kenwyn Hill to go out to the Perranporth turn on the A30 halfway between Chiverton and Carland Crosses, onto the first of the local lanes and there she is, 2.8 miles and the hill covered in the hour at aged nigh on 81.

At least she is safe. Talk about the bitching and moaning that she isn't allowed to walk anywhere, clueless that she didn't come from the house, the police thinking she is bonkers, which is close to the truth - we dropped in there to go back to Tescos.....

However it shows you what they can do when the Alzheimer's deep side of the mind kicks in.......

Any stories on your parts as to serious or even the funny ones of such 'walkies'.......?

[askyourgran]

My sis had similar problems with her mother-in-law, nice woman, she seemed ok until her husband died then she started giving what she considered dirty looking notes away fivers and tenners - the lad next door eventually compained. She went walkabouts quite often and my sister or the police had to keep bringing her home - all the while my sis was looking after her three young children. Eventually Ma went into a care home, but the problem was not solved, she kept escaping. They found her shivering in a bus shelter about three miles away one cold night. When her house was put up for sale I knew of someone who wanted to live in the area so I sent her to see it, and my friend bought it. Only for the Ma-in-law to escape again a few months later and go back to her old home, fortunately I had mentioned to my friend about Ma and the reason for the sale, so she had the presence of mind to ring me to ask what to do with her when Ma turned up there.

[lady-janine]

just seen this thread . what nightmares for you all. i'm not escaping the worry as we are checking our care homes for sil who refuses to do anything for herself. quite capable - she can see and hear and even walk if she wants - but has decided to either sit in a chair or stay in bed 24 hrs because "i'm not going to do anything else". that includes feeding herself or lifting up a cup to have a drink. like nothing. zilch.

[tonyav]

Blimey DT. What a day !, glad she's safe though.

[xstitcher]

This isn't a walking one but about our long term Brit neighbour in Spain. Ever since we had a boarder feud which he instigated and we won we were in his bad books. Then his Alzheimer's, which we had suspected for a few years really surfaced so there was no doubt. From that time on we suddenly became "a lovely couple" as he would tell everyone and he would smile and clap his hands when he saw us.