An 81-year-old man, who had recently displayed early-stage Alzheimer's symptoms, was reporting missing on a Monday afternoon by his worried family. The elderly man had disappeared during a solo car trip to an afternoon appointment and was found the next night by police.

The man's family had grown concerned that the elderly, diabetic man had become confused and lost after losing touch with him. The man, who is monitored and takes medication for high blood pressure, had recently spent the entire winter in Arizona. It was there that doctors began to notice symptoms associated with the progressive disease Alzheimer's, which can cause interruptions or loss of memory.

The only clue the elderly man's family had of the whereabouts of their relative was a report that he had stopped at a gas station to ask for directions three hours away from his original appointment. Although the Minnesota man was given accurate directions by a gas attendant to find his way back, the 81-year-old disappeared. He never showed up for his appointment.

The local media picked up the story of the man's disappearance and broadcast the news. Meanwhile, as the length of time the man was missing grew longer, police stepped up the investigation. By Monday night, when the elderly gentleman had failed to arrive at home or contact his family members, the range of the investigation by authorities had expanded quickly into nearby states.

Police reports don't mention the circumstances under which the older gentleman was finally located, but they do say that the man was found overnight Tuesday, not far from his home in St. Paul, in good condition.

Source: Fox 9 News "Missing vulnerable adult found in good condition" April 2011