Maryland Cop Photographed Helping An 81-Year-Old Find Her Way Home
It’s easy for someone with dementia to forget important details in their everyday life.
Whether it’s duties that were once second nature to them, or even members of their family, there are certain memories that start to fade away as the disease progresses.
Getting lost is another concern, even if it’s within the very neighborhood in which they live. That was the case for an 81-year-old woman, whose daughter called the Charles County Sheriff’s Office to report her missing. The elderly woman took her usual daily walk up and down the driveway, but never came back into the house.
Officers from the department in La Plata, MD, immediately sprang into action. Officers DeBoe, Caywood, and Morrison, Sgt. Black, and Cpl. Clevenger along with his K9 partner, began looking throughout the wooded area.
Thankfully, the officers found her 40 minutes later. But, it’s the heartwarming gesture of Officer Morrison that’s made this specific moment go viral.
“Officers encounter different situations every day. Some good, some not so good. In this case, a frightening situation for the family ended happily. For that, they were thankful. For us, it’s the rewarding part of policing,” the Charles County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook along with the touching photo.
See the lovely picture below…
“At first, she seemed confused at the sudden appearance of police officers on the tree-lined trail, and she asked if the officers were out taking a walk, too. They quietly replied ‘Yes,’ after all, it was a beautiful day. And then she seemed relieved and told them she had lost her way. ‘No problem,’ said Officer Morrison who then gently took her hand and along with the other officers walked her back to her house. Along the way, the officers made small talk with the woman, to make her feel at ease,” the department explained on Facebook.
“When asked what the key to a long, healthy life was, the woman replied, ‘Eat good and stay active.’”
Please SHARE to encourage everyone to be sensitive to people who may be suffering from dementia!
