AUGUSTA, Ga. - There are questions about how an elderly woman - found dead three days after she went missing - was able to walk away from her personal care home.

NBC Augusta 26 News talked to the director of the House of Life Personal Care Home to get the answers.

Elizabeth Bert was found dead Sunday after wandering away from House of Life.

“She was sitting in a chair, the staff went to the bathroom and she was gone," said Jennie Dukes, director House of Life. "We've never had this happen before."

Employees say Bert unlocked a door and just left while their backs were turned.

The director tells 26 News they didn't know Bert's Alzheimer's had progressed as far as it had. They did not expect Bert to wander away.

The director for the Alzheimer's Association in Augusta says every patient is different and it’s difficult to tell what one will do; like randomly leave.

"There's no way that a family or even a staff at a personal care home can say, "oh wow," she's entered that wandering stage," says Kathy Tuckey, the Augusta Alzheimer’s Association’s director.

Under Georgia law, a personal care home is required to assist seniors with living, but they are not allowed to lock them in their rooms - which would make them more like prisoners.

"We can't keep them from going out. We can watch them," said Dukes.

House of Life staff says they called 911 as soon as they noticed Bert was missing.

There are safety measures families can take to ensure their loved ones with Alzheimer's who go missing can be quickly found.

Columbia and Aiken counties offer tracking bracelets through Project Lifesaver Richmond County has a similar program called Safe Return.

Click here for more on Project Lifesaver

Contact the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association of Augusta for more on Richmond County’s Safe Return program at 706-731-9060.

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