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UPDATE: Missing Woman Shows Up at Menlo Park Police Dept.

The Sheriff's Office sent out a missing persons alert Tuesday afternoon.

UPDATED WED. FEB. 13, 11:15 A.M.:

Margaret Woodman, 67, of unincorporated Redwood City, was located after going missing for approximately nine hours on Tuesday, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office reported.

Woodman, who suffers from Alzheimer's, was last seen walking away from her doctor's office in the 100 block of Arch Street near Hopkins Avenue around 1 p.m. Tuesday. She was reported missing shortly after.

Woodman was located when she walked into the Menlo Park Police Department around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Detective Rebecca Rosenblatt of the Sheriff's Office said Wednesday.

This is the third time in three weeks Woodman has gone missing.

- Bay City News Service contributed to this report

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The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office sent out a missing persons alert Tuesday afternoon for an at-risk woman out of Redwood City.

Margaret Woodman, 67, did not return from a walk around 1 p.m. She was last seen in the 100 block of Arch Street near Hopkins in Redwood City.

This is the third time in roughly three weeks that Woodman has gone missing. Her husband said she suffers from Alzheimer's and likes to go on walks, especially around Courthouse Square downtown.

The first time Woodman went missing, last month, she was found all the way over near Stanford University.

If you see Margaret or know her where-abouts, call 9-1-1 immediately.


sigrid oseberg February 13, 2013 at 12:14 am
Why doesn't this woman have a caregiver?
Stacie Chan (Editor) February 13, 2013 at 01:12 am
Sigrid, I agree... This is the *third* time a missing alert has gone for this same woman. This situation is alarming, and I hope it doesn't turn into a "boy who cried wolf" tale.
Jennifer van der Kleut (Editor) February 13, 2013 at 01:18 am
She lives with her husband....I don't know all the details of her situation, but the impression I got is that she tends to take off for a spontaneous walk without telling him or anyone else. I agree that something obviously needs to change to prevent this from happening anymore. Let's just pray she is found safe again this time as she has been the last two times.
TGD February 13, 2013 at 02:24 am
Alzheimer's is a cruel and brutal disease.
Nikki Sullivan February 13, 2013 at 02:58 am
I hope this poor woman is found safely. For her safety she needs a full time care taker. It is a lot on a spouse to take care of someone with Alzheimers, both physically and emotionally. I hope this is the last walk she takes alone and is found safely.
RWCopLady February 13, 2013 at 05:27 am
3 times is way too much. Perhaps some Patch readers can give suggestions to the family so this won't happen again! I agree with the other readers that having a caregiver is what is probably necessary. Unfortunately, it is very expensive to employ someone with good references and experience. Let's pray she comes home safe and let it be the last time!
dorothea February 13, 2013 at 11:41 am
how about fixing a gps system to her ankle or wrist. they have these devices for pets
why not humans. this way if she takes off you can find her and pick her up or have her picked up.
Victor February 13, 2013 at 01:33 pm
She usually hangs out at the court house square in downtown Redwood City, last time I read the first posting. I'll bet she could be there now.
Renee Rodriguez February 13, 2013 at 01:40 pm
I do feel bad about the situation, but this is getting out of hand. If she is this bad, a caregiver may not be enough. She may need to be in an assisted living setting that is locked (for her OWN safety). I see many dememented patients where I work, and I see the struggle. Clearly the husband can't handle the situation, and thus SHE is in danger. Someone needs to step in before it's too late
Victor February 13, 2013 at 05:15 pm
I wonder if she has anyone accompaning her while she does her errands? Her last visit to her doctor's office? Someone from her family should of been with her.
kelly futerer February 13, 2013 at 07:40 pm
If they know she has full blown Alzheimer's and she keeps getting lost to the point of police involvement I would consider this elder neglect and the husband should be held accountable. I agree she should be placed somewhere safe!!!
Lisa B February 14, 2013 at 12:47 pm
I'm just an average reader but instantly knew (from reading the Patch) that this same woman had gone missing twice before. Perhaps the Patch could do a follow up story with the husband to better understand their circumstances. This story could also highlight the need for our Measure A funding to be spent on Health and Human Services, something that might help this family.
Lucia Thomas February 14, 2013 at 12:51 pm
Thank you for your comment, Lisa! I wonder how many of the outraged commenters has actually been a caretaker for someone with Alzheimers. The husband may be ill himself, or completely overwhelmed--people with the disease CAN be belligerent or even violent. While obviously they need help, not everyone on the Peninsula has the funds to pay a caregiver or put a loved one in an assisted living faciity.
Jennifer van der Kleut (Editor) February 14, 2013 at 02:24 pm
Very good idea Lisa, thanks for the idea and feedback.
kelly futerer February 14, 2013 at 04:09 pm
I am one of the very concerned for this woman, since we were only given almost a weekly call for action of finding her of course at this point we are all concerned!! This is a city with cars, buses and all kinds of things going on.
My father has full blown Alzheimers and goes on walks all the time but my parents live outside of a city with very little going on. My mother has her hands full, he acts like a five year old, even tantrums, he is to the point where she does not know what to do or how to take care of him any more, she is also scared every time he goes on a walk now :( My heart goes out to the family of this woman and I hope that they can get the help they need, it would be great to have both sides of the story, yes, but the obvious thing is something has to be done differently to be able to keep her safe. An other reason for concerned is the fact that most people with Alzheimers gets disoriented, lost and scared very easily. This is a very serious situation, a very difficult for all parties involved. It is not fare for her to walk around alone to the point of getting lost. Good point Lucia, what do people do if they can't take care of an older sick person and can't afford the proper treatment or facility???? My Mom and I would like to know also.
kelly futerer February 14, 2013 at 04:57 pm
I just talked to my Mom after I wrote this and what the Police where she lives suggested they get so my father does not get lost is a GPS tracking braclet, this way the person with Alzheimers can be found. My Mom is looking into getting one for my father now also.
I have a call into the RWC Police Dept to see if they have any suggestions or maybe we can pool a fund to get this woman one??
KMS February 18, 2013 at 03:47 am
This is very sad and very alarming. My mother in law has Alzheimers and she liked to go for walks unexpectedly. My father in law put child-proof lock on the doors and had success with her not getting out un-noticed.
Andrea Nordemann February 18, 2013 at 10:37 pm
The family could contact "A Place for Mom" - aplaceformom.com. They are most informed about all sorts of care, at home, outside of the home, costs, etc. Alzheimer's and dementia is a cruel and unforgiving condition.

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Vanessa Castañeda (Editor) June 14, 2013 at 01:28 pm
Good question, cipiazza. This is probably related to a sewage pipeline replacement project takingRead More place nearby.
Alison Madden June 16, 2013 at 07:33 pm
Vanessa and ctpiazza, Buckley Stone at Pete's Harbor says it is because some time ago the CityRead More dredged near muni and ran a pipe under to spill it out at Bair Island, so it is actually the remains of rotting sea life. He knows so much about this area having been at Pete's for 20 years and knowing so much about the area the tides and the nature and land around here.