‘They just wanted to be home together’: Elderly couple flee care home because they hate it there
Colin, 89, and Claudette Geraghty, 83, vanished from their retirement home in Melbourne on Saturday just five days after checking in
An elderly Australian couple escaped from a care home because they hated it and "just wanted to be home together".
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Colin, 89, and Claudette Geraghty, 83, vanished from their retirement home in Melbourne on Saturday less than five days after checking in.
The pair fled from the city's Melba Retirement Village after leaving their daughter a moving message.
Colin and Claudette reportedly picked up their daily medications before making a dash for it just after 11am in their white 2015 Mazda 2.
They were spotted an hour later on CCTV in the car park of The Glen shopping centre at midday.
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Police found the couple 32 hours later in Maryborough, around 100 miles north west of Melbourne.
Their daughter Linda said her parents, who both suffer from dementia, "really didn't like being in care".
Just before fleeing the care home, Linda's father texted her: "Don't worry, thank you for your help, I'll make sure I look after her."
She replied begging them to "please come home", adding "we are all so worried about you."
The pair were found safe in Maryborough 32 hours later more than 100 north west of Melbourne.
Linda said her parents had struggled with their new living arrangements.
They both required round-the-clock care because Colin has Alzheimer's and Claudette suffers with vascular dementia and experiences seizures.
"They didn’t really like being in care, and I think they just wanted to be home together" Linda told the Herald Sun.
“Dad thinks he can help her … they feel like all their choices are being taken away.”
It wasn't the first time the pair tried to plot an escape that week.
The police were alerted days earlier when the Geraghtys tried to get away before their most recent escape.
Linda added her father "doesn't realise he has memory problems".