SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Police found missing Santa Barbara woman Nancy Riordan last night walking along Mora Mesa. Riordan suffers from dementia and was found thanks to a tracking device system called Project Lifesaver.
But it led this question: why are people with dementia, Alzheimer's, and other special needs going missing across the Central Coast?
Larissa Halcell works at Magnolia Assisted Living in Santa Maria, where she and other employees provide 24-hour care for their residents who all suffer from Alzheimer's disease or dementia. She says people with memory disorders should receive constant attention, but don't always do.
"If you don't have someone who is right there with them or ready for them to get up and redirect them that can be a really big problem."
Halcell says that some families hesitate to put their loved ones in the care of assisted living homes.
"A lot of family members feel guilty moving them into a new location where they aren't with them all day, so that can be a major challenge."
If you look online you'll see dozens of assisted living homes on the Central Coast. But the problem for some people is the cost. According to Halcell, "long time care is definitely difficult for families to afford. They may wait until there are several incidences of their family member wandering or leaving before they decide to get that extra care."
According to AssistedLivingFacilities.com, the average monthly cost of assisted living in the U.S. is $3,300.@
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