Woman, 76, missing from nursing home

THE family of an elderly woman who went missing from a nursing home over Christmas have called for regulations to make door alarms mandatory on all elderly care facilities.

Frail Alzheimer’s and cancer sufferer, Maura Reynolds, 76, disappeared from the Tara Nursing Home in Bray, Co Wicklow, some time between 12.30am and 6.30am on St Stephen’s morning after spending Christmas Day with relatives.

Her son, George, and daughter-in-law, Priscilla, believe she made her way outside when a key was left in the kitchen door which also serves as a back entrance to the premises.

“They have a lock on the front door to prevent this very kind of thing happening,” said Priscilla. “But we really feel it should be compulsory that in every nursing home, every door to the outside be fitted with an alarm to alert staff when it opens. The tragedy of this is that it was easily preventable.”

An intensive search operation got underway on St Stephen’s morning involving nursing home staff, neighbours, the Reynolds family and their friends, gardaí and the Garda Air Support Unit, but by last night no trace had been found of Ms Reynolds.

Tara Nursing Home is owned by Paul Costelloe, chairman of the Irish Nursing Homes’ Organisation, and his wife, Anne Costello, who is director of nursing at the home.

Ms Costelloe said she could not comment on how Ms Reynolds got out of the house. She said: “It would certainly not be the norm for keys to be left in doors or left lying around.

“We would be very aware of the security of our residents and the importance of maintaining a safe environment.”

Priscilla said her mother-in-law could not have walked more than a couple of hundred yards and she believed she may have tried to shelter in a shed or by shrubbery in one of the gardens in the mainly residential area of Putland Road.

Ms Reynolds is described as 165 centimetres tall but stooped, thin and with white hair. She was wearing a purple trouser suit and possibly a fleece jacket when she left the house.