ROBERTA, Ga. — A family in Laurens County is still searching for their family member who's gone missing with dementia. Garland Warren is 82-years-old and left his home in Rentz on Monday afternoon.
They say one of the last places he was seen at is Frozen Joe's on East Agency Street in Roberta. He went inside there to ask for directions to a gas station.
His wife, Mary Lou Warren, said he's a friendly person who can talk with anyone.
"He's got a good attitude about everything. He's just a good man," she said.
They got married 57 years ago and live in Rentz by themselves. It near where Garland grew up. But about six months ago, Mary Lou noticed something changing with her husband.
"I'd been noticing it a little bit that he would forget and lay things down and couldn't find, couldn't find it," Mary Lou said.
That's when they found out he had dementia. Mary Lou said they weren't too concerned, because it was progressing slowly.
"I try not to think the worst. And I'm not. And I deny the worst," Mary Lou said.
She last saw him Monday afternoon when she left their home in Rentz to go to Eastman for a hair appointment.
"He was doing good. He was talking, laughing and he even offered me some money to get my hair fixed. And I said I don't need your money, I got your checkbook," she said.
She said her husband has no cellphone, and their chihuahua-mix puppy named Smokey is missing. He was driving a black truck with a Georgia Southern sticker on the drivers side back glass.
There is an Under Armor sticker on the passenger side back glass. The truck had new fenders on the drivers side front, and the passenger side back that were freshly painted. The rest of the truck was faded.
She said he was wearing a camouflage shirt and blue jeans that day. The family has been searching for Garland in the area he was last seen, and you can reach out to the family on their Facebook pages if you'd like to help with a search.
If someone finds Garland, they ask that you stay with him until law enforcement gets there. If you have any information on him, you can call 911, or the Laurens County Sheriff's Office at 478-272-1522.
Leslie Holland works for the Georgia chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
She said wandering is very common among people with dementia.
"People might think oh, my person wandered, so that means I'm not a good caregiver. That's not the case at all," Holland said.
She recommends families who get a dementia diagnosis reach out to the Alzheimer's Association for free resources and information on how to navigate life moving forward. They have a 24/7 hotline you can call at anytime for help at: 800.272.3900.
One of the things they recommend is taking away keys as soon as someone gets a diagnosis.
"Have the physician recommend to them, because a lot of people will listen to their doctor, instead of you know, their loved one," Holland said.
Holland shared these tips to help prevent wandering in people with dementia:
● Identify the time of day the person is most likely to wander (for those who experience “sundowning,” this may be starting in the early evening.) Plan things to do during this time- activities and exercise may help reduce anxiety, agitation and restlessness.
● Ensure all basic needs are met, including toileting, nutrition and hydration. Consider reducing, but not eliminating- liquids up to two hours before bedtime so the person doesn’t have to use and find the bathroom during the night.
● Involve the person in daily activities, such as folding laundry or preparing dinner. Learn about creating a daily plan.
● Reassure the person if he or she feels lost, abandoned or disoriented.
● If the person is still safely able to drive, consider using a GPS device to help if they get lost.