TNR Staff

 

A LARGE search team in Phuket found the elderly German woman tourist missing for seven days lying by a creek in a forest within Sirinat National Park today (May, 16), Thai Rath newspaper and Amarin TV said.

 

Ms. Barbara L., 76,  who is said to be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and disappeared from Maikhao Palm Beach Resort at 8 a.m. on May 9, was found at 11.30 a.m. today in a continuing search mounted by this large search team.

 

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Participating in the search were Thalang district officials, policemen from Tourist Police Bureau and Phuket Airport Tourist Assistance Centre and over 40 Sirinat National Park officials who today had split up into three teams in continuing to hunt for her.

 

Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/05/16/missing-german-woman-found-by-a-creek-in-national-park-forest/

 

-- © Copyright  THAI NEWSROOM 2022-05-17

 

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Missing for 7 days with no food and clean drinking water. At her age and with Alzheimer’s disease, It is a miracle she survived.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Ms. Barbara L., 76,  who is said to be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease

She's gone missing a few times now I've read. 

 

Thailand is not the place for this woman, I reckon it's time to go back to Germany. 

 

Her relatives were waiting for her when rescuers finally managed to bring her out of the forest.

 

Wonder of the relatives will put the bill for the search for not taking care of her properly ? 

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Her relatives were waiting for her when rescuers finally managed to bring her out of the forest.

 

Wonder of the relatives will put the bill for the search for not taking care of her properly ? 

Just told to forget it ????

1 minute ago, Excel said:

Just told to forget it ????

Probably if they knew the will !

6 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Her relatives were waiting for her when rescuers finally managed to bring her out of the forest.

 

Wonder of the relatives will put the bill for the search for not taking care of her properly ? 

Maybe.. sometimes these things get claimed by the rescue department. But i get it that if people are too much themselves to blame they have to pay.

Her relatives were waiting for her when rescuers finally managed to bring her out of the forest.

"Begs the question" how the lady managed to escape from the relatives watch?

Or why she's not in possession of a phone or other device with location activated.

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Her relatives were waiting for her when rescuers finally managed to bring her out of the forest.

"Begs the question" how the lady managed to escape from the relatives watch?

Or why she's not in possession of a phone or other device with location activated.

Alzheimer's victims are often good at escaping.

Even from locked UK care homes.

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Alzheimer's victims are often good at escaping.

Even from locked UK care homes.

Not only in th UK.. Netherlands too. My grandmother out a few times too. Alzheimer is bad.. please kill me if i get it.

 

I mean it was so painful to watch as a kid how my grandmother did not rember my mom much and felt resentment to being put in a care home. Really sad.

19 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Alzheimer's victims are often good at escaping.

Even from locked UK care homes.

How do remember that? 

I remember a grandfather of an ex of mine in Wales UK, he used to wander off to his favourite old pub, he never forgot where that was, the bar staff would phone the home after he'd had a couple of beers.

Can't be that hard to fashion a nice 'tracking bracelet' or Apple AirTag to her, that can't be removed.  Shouldn't be that hard, and even stylish.  Gone missing once, ok, but a few times, then want to plan for the next escape.

24 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

How do remember that? 

My Auntie was put in a care home age 80, she didn't even remember her children.

But managed to escape a few times.

 

My Uncle and his wife were also put in a care home together.

Neither of them remembered the other or their marriage of 40 years.

 

It's a very sad way to end your life.

From the headline, I thought she had been found by a native Red Indian.   555

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Her relatives were waiting for her when rescuers finally managed to bring her out of the forest.

"Begs the question" how the lady managed to escape from the relatives watch?

Or why she's not in possession of a phone or other device with location activated.

If she has diagnosed and advanced Alzheimer’s disease then even if she had a phone and was suffering an episode of cognitive functioning decline she wouldn't even know what the phone was, let alone activate it and dial someone.

3 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

If she has diagnosed and advanced Alzheimer’s disease then even if she had a phone and was suffering an episode of cognitive functioning decline she wouldn't even know what the phone was, let alone activate it and dial someone.

But with the "LOCATION" turned on the phone can be traced.

The poor darling ???? Sad to see that she is not managed properly by her family. 

Alzheimers is a confusing and scary thing for everyone.

I don't know the families situation regarding their acceptance and awareness of this disease so a pinch of salt with this comment ...

 

To see someone you love turn into a confused, angry, irrational, confused, ghostlike unpredictable thing is very difficult for all involved.

I'm not surprised that the family hasn't/or been somewhat less than vigilant in managing to contain her in the moments that led to her escaping and getting lost. Often the denial and acceptance by family of someone with this frightening and bewildering disease can precipitate some tragic events many of this exact same sort e.g. wandering along freeways, walking into dense impenetrable jungle at the back of a house or down the street for the home they wander out of, naked and covered in their own waste in supermarkets, found starved to death or dehydrated because they are so far gone they are unable to respond to their own autonomic systems that tell them to drink something (don't even recognise anymore what thirst is) and all sorts of other places without a clue what, where, how, and who they or others or other things are.

The painful reality is that folks in a certain state of decline in this disease need to be securely locked into some sort of walled and really controlled environment. Kept away from fall areas, sharp objects, electricity, enough water to drown in (just like a baby), boiling water, flame and monitored 24/7.

I hope the family has the presence and comes into greater awareness, after this near tragic episode, now of the needs of this older woman and has were-with-all to take her home to Deutschland and provide safe care for her.

11 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

But with the "LOCATION" turned on the phone can be traced.

A dementia sufferer, if they wandered off from a home or a gathering would not (more than likely) have any sense of what a phone was let alone have the presence of mind to think they needed to pick up a phone before they wandered off. That is if she even has a phone. And if she did if the phone had a flat battery or if she was in a remote enough place that the signal didn't transmit then it would be useless.

50 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My Auntie was put in a care home age 80, she didn't even remember her children.

But managed to escape a few times.

 

My Uncle and his wife were also put in a care home together.

Neither of them remembered the other or their marriage of 40 years.

 

It's a very sad way to end your life.

My Dad died with Dementia at 80 after a few interesting years!! - my Mum developed Alzheimers at about 80 , and lived unhappily in her own crazy world for another 8 years.  Unfortunately I think the writing is on the wall for me!     This is not how I want to go - so if (big if, that one!) I become aware of some of the early signs in my own behaviour - I will be checking out!

I read this and thought; why is it relevant that a Greek found her? 

3 minutes ago, G Rex said:

My Dad died with Dementia at 80 after a few interesting years!! - my Mum developed Alzheimers at about 80 , and lived unhappily in her own crazy world for another 8 years.  Unfortunately I think the writing is on the wall for me!     This is not how I want to go - so if (big if, that one!) I become aware of some of the early signs in my own behaviour - I will be checking out!

My Mother died of early onset Alzheimer's at age 60.  You think you have worries? 

7 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

My Mother died of early onset Alzheimer's at age 60.  You think you have worries? 

I wanted to put HaHA emoji - but thought somehow not appropriate!

6 minutes ago, G Rex said:

I wanted to put HaHA emoji - but thought somehow not appropriate!

I would have understood, I have that kind of humour too, so did my Mother.  

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

 

Or why she's not in possession of a phone or other device with location activated.

"Other device" is the word.

Mobile phone for a dementia or Alzheimer patient? Not useful.

My father could not handle a five button TV remote.

Like it or not, but aren't there "tags" with which you can locate people?

Can't you have an alarm going if a person leaves further than xxx meters?

 

41 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Mobile phone for a dementia or Alzheimer patient? Not useful.

My father could not handle a five button TV remote.

Not useful as a phone possible, but if the "location" is activated then it can be tracked.

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

 

It's a very sad way to end your life.

It sure is. I took care of my mother for several years until things became so bad she needed round the clock care and we had to put her in a home. Was very sad to see her deteriorating like that, especially those last couple of years.

Fortunately, I live in a country where euthanasia is legal and I have already made arrangements in case I also get dementia or Alzheimer’s. 

7 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

She's gone missing a few times now I've read. 

 

Thailand is not the place for this woman, I reckon it's time to go back to Germany. 

 

The nation is not the cause its the lack of care.

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

device with location activated.

Great idea and hope others that read share with people who have similar illnesses.

8 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Thailand is not the place for this woman, I reckon it's time to go back to Germany. 

She is here with her family, why is being in Thailand, specifically, not a good thing for her, will she not have her ailments back in Germany?