Missing senior with Alzheimer's reunited with her relatives

An elderly person with dementia in Songjiang District lost her way home while searching for the address of her former employers. She was finally reunited with her family through joint efforts by police and Tames Town neighborhood residents.

"I came here to visit the owners of Room 202 and forgot where I live," she said when she was guided to Tames Town service center by a resident surnamed Ma at around 11am on October 16.

"Early in the morning, I heard knocks on a door somewhere outside, and I went out of the apartment and saw this granny," said Ma.

Having failed to acquire any information from the woman, Ma sent her to the neighborhood's service center in the hope that people there could help find her home.

"The elder is about 70 years old. She was mumbling that she wanted to visit the owners of Room 202. When I asked her name and home address, she could answer neither," said Zhang Jue, an official of the neighborhood committee.

Zhang then took out the owner registration book to check basic information of Room 202, but found that the apartment was now vacant and its previous tenants had moved out years ago.

Guessing the elder might have some cognition problem, Zhang reported the case to neighborhood police.

At about noon the police arrived. Through facial recognition they found out the elder's home address and relatives' information. At about 1:10pm the relatives came and disclosed that the woman has Alzheimer's disease.