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Missing Alzheimer’s Doris Jane Reese Found

LENEXA, Kansas - The daugther of a missing woman called NBC Action News to inform us that her mother was found, safe, around midnight Tuesday morning near Independence.

Police say Doris Jane Reese left her home at midnight on Sunday, May 16 to go to Shawnee Mission Medical Center to visit a relative.

She was seen in the area of 72nd Street and North Oak Trafficway in the Gladstone and Kanas City, Missouri, area Monday evening.

Alzheimers Patient Dies After Wandering Outside

Salina, Kansas - An elderly Salina woman is dead this week after wandering out in the cold Sunday night into Monday morning.

She probably wandered away," says Salina Deputy Police Chief Carson Mansfield, "... late night in the cold."

Police do not suspect foul play. Now alzheimer's groups are offering support and advice on how to keep patients with the disease safe.

"Getting a diagnosis of alzheimer's is very scary," says Marsha Hills of the Wichita Alzheimer's Association, "for the person that's getting it and for the family."

Hills says education is key to helping keep Alzheimer's patients safe. She says six out of ten people living with Alzheimer's will wander from home at some point.

"If we can help one person stay safe, the education is worth it," explains Hills.

Hills also says there are some steps caretakers can follow that will help keep patients safe.

"The Alzheimer's Association has a program called safe return where you can wear jewelry that has numbers for police or the public to identify who the person is," says Hills, "And then there's our GPS system where family members can know exact locations."

While Salina police continue to piece together exactly why the 84-year-old woman wandered away, Alzheimer's activists say all family and caregivers need to stay informed to help prevent tragedy.

"We can make a difference," says Hills.