VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - On Saturday, February 28, an elderly dementia patient at PruittHealth Lakehaven in Valdosta.

The patient, later identified as a male, left the facility undetected, walked to the Walgreens on North Ashley Street, and allegedly stole a vehicle. He was later stopped by authorities and was taken into custody, where he was charged with theft by taking and first-offense driving while his license was suspended, revoked, or withdrawn.

But this incident raises serious questions about supervision and patient monitoring at the facility.

According to PruittHealth policies, standard rounding procedures require staff to check on patients every two hours, but according to our sources, the patient was missing for several hours before anyone noticed he was gone.

We asked Pruitt Health about the incident and they responded with this statement:

“We are aware of an incident involving a patient who exited our facility. Our immediate focus has been on the well-being of the patient and supporting their family, who has been informed. The safety of our patients, staff, and community is our top priority, and we are reviewing the circumstances surrounding this situation. We cannot share additional details out of respect for patient privacy.”

We followed up with additional questions about their patient monitoring protocols, their employee reporting policy, and how the facility notifies families when a loved one goes missing. We are still waiting for answers.

Since the incident, the family has transferred their loved one to another facility.

Ann Walker-Smith, Executive Director of Alzheimer’s Caregiver Time-Out, says there are several reasons dementia patients may wander, which is exactly why strict monitoring protocols are required at care facilities.

“One in six will wander...they are sometimes looking for something. I’ve been here 16 years, executive director, and I have had, I cannot even tell you how many clients they are different in that they have different personalities but so much of them is alike,” Walker-Smith said. “So when they wonder off sometimes they are looking for something or sometimes they are just looking around wondering what’s over there. Their world is totally different from ours, they do not think like us anymore.”

Walker-Smith advises anyone who may encounter someone with Dementia or a related disease to:

• Do not be afraid to approach.
• Speak calmly, clearly, and slowly -- state who you are and ask if they need assistance.
• Do not take them from the place they are found in case their loved ones or public safety is looking for them.

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