Alzheimer's often undiagnosed

It is believed that a 75-year-old woman found dead along the side of Interstate 75 Friday might have wandered off from a relative's home in Ruskin because she was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

As many as five million people are living with Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's Association says most people living in the hazy grip of the disease will wander off from home at some point and that most are sure to do it repeatedly.

"It was the worst day in my life when we discovered that my father was missing," said Charlotte Howard, describing the day her father drove off from his home in Tampa and vanished.

The family hoped for the best and feared the worst.

"We really did not know that he was that bad," she said.

Nancy Parente with the Alzheimer's Association says it happens all the time: families think loved ones are simply old and forgetful, when really they're suffering from an illness unraveling their brains, rendering them confused and vulnerable. She says cases are on the rise.

"We can provide testing and it's a diagnostic tool, which pretty much will let us know if we see some kind of change with memory," said Parente.

Caregivers can take steps to prevent wandering. Parente says part of it is "getting into" the mind of an Alzheimer's patient. For instance, they often perceive dark colors as empty space or giant voids.

"If you place a dark rug, preferably a black rug in front of a doorway, the individual will not cross that rug. He or she will think of it as perhaps a hole that he or she might fall through," said Parente.

A home alarm is also a good idea, along with securing windows and doors.

"Someone with Alzheimer's Disease is going to be looking eye level, so if you're able to get some locks and you can place them above and below," she said.

The Alzheimer's Association wants families to know about its Safe Return ID bracelet. It lists medical information and gives a number to call that will locate loved ones.

Charlotte Howard's father was found alive, in his car in Naples.
"A person in a gas station thought he was a drunk, so they let him lay there all day," Howard said.

Parente says we all need to do out part in watching out for each other.

"It's community awareness, because even if someone is homeless, I would think you would move forward, and at least try to ascertain what his or her situation is, especially if someone is older and wandering."

The Alzheimer's Association offers classes to help caregivers.