Originally published 2021-11-18.
In November 2021, a home security camera in Franklin Park, New Jersey, recorded a small act of kindness that went on to be shared widely online. A 92-year-old woman named Gigi, who lives with advanced Alzheimer's disease, had walked out of the house alone and was heading down the street. An Amazon delivery driver named Wilmar noticed that something was wrong, stopped, found her medical ID bracelet, phoned her family and brought her safely home.
The footage is short, but it touches on something many families caring for a relative with dementia fear every day: the moment a loved one slips out of the door and cannot find their way back.
What happened on the street
The doorbell camera first captured Gigi leaving on her own and setting off along the quiet suburban road. Wilmar was nearby making deliveries. She waved at him, and he later explained that drivers get waved at all the time, but this wave felt different, as if she needed help.
He pulled over and spoke to her. Gigi was wearing a medical alert bracelet engraved with her name and emergency contacts. Wilmar used it to call her granddaughter, Karen, who was out at the time collecting her own mother from a doctor's appointment. Karen gave him the address, and he drove Gigi the short distance back, helped her out of the van and walked her to the door.
Karen's family were caring for two relatives with dementia at the time, Gigi and Karen's father, both of whom needed round-the-clock care. That context explains why a few minutes out of sight could have turned frightening very quickly.
Watching it happen from a phone
Because the house had a video doorbell, Karen could open the live feed and watch the van pull into the driveway as it happened. Speaking about the moment, she said the camera "gave us that extra layer of comfort and relief that we could see everything." She also said it helped that the driver was someone who had been to the house before and knew the family's address.
The account of the rescue, including Wilmar's comments, was first shared on Ring's own blog and later picked up by sites such as Positive Outlooks. Ring is owned by Amazon, so it is fair to note that the story also worked as good publicity for both companies. That does not change what the driver did: he noticed a vulnerable person, took her seriously and got her home.
Why wandering is so dangerous in dementia
Wandering is one of the most common and most worrying behaviours in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. According to the Alzheimer's Association, six in ten people living with dementia will wander at least once, and many do so repeatedly. It can happen at any stage of the illness, not only in the late stages.
The risk is not just getting lost. A person may walk into traffic, fall, go out in cold weather without a coat, or end up near water. They may not be able to tell anyone their name or address, and they may not recognise that they are in danger. Searches for people with dementia often take longer and use more resources than other missing-person searches.
People wander for many reasons: stress or restlessness, looking for someone or something, trying to follow an old routine such as going to work, needing the toilet, or feeling that they need to "go home" even while they are at home.
How families can reduce the risk
No family can watch someone every second, but several practical steps help, many of them recommended by dementia charities:
- Identification. A bracelet or pendant with the person's name, condition and a contact number, like the one Gigi wore, is simple and can make all the difference.
- Door alerts. Chimes, alarms or pressure mats on exit doors let carers know when someone goes out. Locks can be placed high or low and out of sight, but a person should never be locked in alone.
- Routine and activity. Planned activities at the times of day when restlessness peaks, often late afternoon and early evening, can reduce the urge to leave.
- Basic needs. Hunger, thirst, pain or needing the toilet can all trigger wandering.
- A plan. Keep a recent close-up photo, a list of places the person might head for, and the numbers you would call.
- Tell the neighbours. People who know the person and the house are more likely to notice when something is off.
For medical decisions about dementia care, including medication and care settings, talk to a doctor or a specialist dementia nurse.
What to do if you see someone who seems lost
Wilmar's response is a good model for anyone who comes across an older person who seems confused or out of place:
- Approach calmly, introduce yourself and speak simply. Avoid crowding or rushing them.
- Look for a medical bracelet, necklace or card with contact details.
- Stay with them if you can, and keep them away from roads or water.
- If you cannot reach family quickly, call the emergency number and mention that the person may have dementia.
The Alzheimer's Association advises families who realise someone is missing to search immediately and to call 911 if the person is not found within 15 minutes, since many people are found within about a mile and a half of where they went missing.
A neighbourhood looking out for each other
Wilmar framed his actions as ordinary community responsibility. His view was that if you see something is wrong, you speak up and act, because everyone benefits when neighbours keep an eye on one another. Delivery drivers, postal workers and bin crews pass the same streets every day, and they are often the first to notice when something is unusual.
Gigi's walk ended safely because a busy driver chose to stop, a bracelet carried the right information, and a family had a way to see what was happening. Each of those pieces is something other families can put in place.
Sources: Positive Outlooks: Amazon driver spots elderly woman walking alone and takes her back home (quoting Ring's blog); Alzheimer's Association: Wandering; Wikipedia: Wandering (dementia). Video and stills: Ring doorbell footage via YouTube.
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