Elderly Newark Woman Missing After Leaving Hospital Found Safe
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- An elderly Newark woman who was reported missing after leaving a local hospital has been found safe.
Dorothy Williams, 80, was found Thursday evening in front of a home on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City, according to officials at the New Community Extended Care Facility, where Williams lives.
Williams, who suffers from dementia, was reported missing Wednesday after she was taken from the nursing home by ambulance to see doctors at University Hospital in Newark to have an injured foot looked at, CBS2's Dave Carlin reported.
Nurses at the hospital informed the nursing home that she would be returning by ambulance at 2:30 p.m. But by Wednesday evening, the nursing home staff realized Williams had not made it back.
After the nursing home called the emergency room to find out what happened, the hospital called police to report that Williams had left the ER.
It's still unclear how Williams ended up in Jersey City, but nursing home officials said a concerned resident spotted her outside near a porch and contacted authorities.
At the time, she was wearing a band that identified her as a resident of the nursing home. She was taken to Jersey City Medical Center overnight for an evaluation as a precaution.
Her relieved goddaughter, Jackie Ceola, credits CBS2 with helping find her.
"I'm grateful, so grateful for channel 2 for putting it out here and having a heart for people," she said.
The New Community Extended Care Facility said it "expresses heartfelt gratitude to the police officers who led the search for Ms. Williams and followed up on tips and leads to secure her safe return home" adding it is "fully committed to the health and safety of all our residents."
University Hospital also issued a statement saying it is "unable to comment regarding the details of a patients' care. However, our primary concern is always the health and safety of our patients."
