Let's Find Nancy for the New Year

With the year quickly coming to an end, my level of helplessness and frustration remains high as we still haven't had any clues that have led us to even the suggestion of a trail in the search for Nancy.  Despite our lack of success at this point, I am forever indebted to each and every one of you who have devoted your time, energy, talents and prayers to our efforts.  In those moments when I am not consumed by thoughts of "what should I do next," I am overwhelmed by the kindness and commitment of both treasured old friends and the many wonderful strangers who have become invaluable new friends.  There simply are no words that can adequately convey the gratitude that Nancy's parents and I feel.

As we enter 2017, we will continue to devise new strategies to continue to shake up the system in our ongoing effort to bring Nancy home.   A major new effort we will be undertaking after the 1st of the year will involve visits to a large number of skilled nursing and residential care facilities in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties.  If any of you have an interest in assisting with those calls, please let me know of your interest and availability.  We are also exploring other avenues of keeping the search alive and will be posting that information on an ongoing basis.

Please know how very much you and your efforts are appreciated and accept our best wishes for a New Year that provides health and happiness for you and your families and finding Nancy for ours.

Kirk

Weekly Update - and How You Can Help (Again)

Last week we finished up calling all the hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities (Nursing Homes) and the residential care facilities for which we received returned mail.  Thanks to Peg and her team for that!  (Over 1300 entries in the call log ... probably many more phone calls than that).

This week we'll concentrate on physically visiting some facilities.

As we have asked before, please share Nancy's information with anyone you know who may come in contact with hospitals, nursing homes or residential care facilities.  We have to push the word (and her picture!) out there (thanks Tavia for sharing your friend's efforts!)

It is also about time to "refresh" getting the word out.  So please

1. Share on FaceBook, 
2. Tweet "Missing Alzheimer's patient in LA. Missing for over 2 months.  NancyIsMissing.BlogSpot.com  #NancyIsMissing"
3. Post on NextDoor in your neighborhood.
4. Tell someone else you haven't told before!

Another week, and still looking for Nancy... Please help look in residential care facilities for her!

Another week, and still looking for Nancy. 

Last week we sent out five thousand flyers to all the residential care facilities recognized by CA's Dept of Social Services in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties.   This is part of our “bottom-up” strategy of finding Nancy if she has made it into the care system without being identified: We’re seeking her from the individual facilities.   Thanks, again, to all those who stamped and stuffed envelopes.

Got back 120 of these as undeliverable and are still culling them and following up.

Also bought a marketing list of all the MDs and RNs, in a 20 mile radius of the point from where Nancy went missing emailed flyers with Nancy photo, description, reward info, and tip line phone number.  Kudos to brother Rex Moody for identifying this opportunity.

And have been in contact with California’s Medi-Cal Data Analysts to look for women matching Nancy’s description that have applied for coverage from any source.  The time-delay from initial billing to showing up in data is remarkably long, but we are seeking help to find Nancy via this “top-down” strategy.

And, another “thank you” to Megan Barnes of the Daily Breeze newspaper for a very nice follow-up article on our continuing efforts to find Nancy!  This article is available at by clicking the following link: 

Link to Daily Breeze Update Article

And Megan's piece is also in The Beach Reporter this week...  Again, huge thanks, Megan!

Link to The Beach Reporter Update Article

We continue to believe that Nancy is still out there, receiving care in the “system” and hope that someone will recognize her from the flyer and call the tip line at: 310-567-6594

Update: Mass-mailing of flyers to residential care facilities in 3 counties...

We sent out 5,000 flyers on Tuesday to all of the Elder Residential Care facilities recognized by CA's Dept of Social Services in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties. Thanks to all who helped stamp and stuff the envelopes.

We're still hoping that Nancy is somehow lost in one of these facilities and that someone either working there or coming in contact there will recognize her and call us.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE WORD TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW THAT MIGHT BE IN CARE FACILITIES!

And continuing kudos to Peg Griffith and her team of callers: They continue their follow-up calls to a large number of area hospitals on a regular basis. You are amazing...

The coming week: You Can Help Us Find Nancy

At this time, one of our strongest theories is that Nancy is in a care facility, but that she is in there under the wrong name.  

This could have happened because of her very limited verbal skills and probable lack of identification.

We’ve heard a number of accounts of Missing Persons who get into a care system and are later found. After weeks, months, or even years, they “pop-out."

YOU CAN HELP US FIND NANCY BY USING YOUR PERSONAL CONTACTS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS TO:

Contact anyone you know that works in or visits nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, or "board and care".  Give them copies of the “Nancy is Still Missing” flyer. (Link to the flyer, just below) 

Ask them to look for Nancy and post the flyer for others to see.

Examples of people that might regularly visit a care facility include:

• family and friends of patients
• podiatrists
• barbers
• hairdressers
• manicurists
• massage therapists
• visiting nurses
• doctors
• hospice workers
• dentists
• physical therapists

Our callers are contacting many of these care facilities, but there are several thousand, and you can't be sure that our flyers get put up

   Links to the most recent flyers are here:  

            English Version: Nancy is Missing Flyer: English Version
            Spanish Version: Nancy is Missing Flyer: Spanish Version

      Click on the link, and then download the PDF of the flyer to your computer.

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Real world example of a loved one with dementia lost in the system who was found

My sister-in-law walked away from her home in the La Brea/Melrose area in 1999. She was unable to communicate. We hired a retired FBI agent. He searched area nursing homes to no avail.  He circulated the reward posters to the area nursing homes and 3 days later she was found. A podiatrist's assistant claimed the reward. She did foot care on patients in nursing homes and recognized her.

My sister-in-law had been picked up on the street by an employee, taken to the home, given a new ID including name and SS# to collect medical reimbursement. When reported to LAPD they were aware it is a common practice.

If you know other examples of a person lost in the system being found, please share since that information could be a useful way to find Nancy.