Giffnock family desperate to track down couple who saved 'frozen' dad

Brian Gough was found wandering the street in his pyjamas with no shoes on after going missing during the night.

The 88-year-old, from Giffnock, suffers vascular dementia and has sadly seen a sharp decline in his health this year.

He told his family he “took a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom” after getting out of bed on Thursday, September 1, and got very lost.

It is unknown how long he had been wandering the streets before a couple is believed to have found him and contacted the police.

Newsquest, Colin Mearns (Image: Newsquest, Colin Mearns)

They then managed to identify him and find his address, which he had forgotten after becoming confused, and was returned to his wife Janice, 77.

Now his family are hoping to find the people who stopped to help him after fearing the very worst could have happened.

His daughter, Caroline Stevenson, 53, told the Glasgow Times: “Anything could have happened to my dad. It really has given us all a terrible fright.

“He has never managed to wander away like this before. We don’t know how long he was away but he was frozen when he came back.

“We are all worried sick about him but he is none the wiser after his little adventure. He just said he ‘took a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom’.

“My dad needs a zimmer but didn’t have that with him and he has really bad balance, it is so incredibly lucky he didn’t fall.

“The police aren’t allowed to tell us anything about the couple who found him because of data protection but I would love to thank them.

“I am so grateful someone stopped and helped him.”

Newsquest, Colin Mearns (Image: Newsquest, Colin Mearns)

Dementia affects the brain, making it harder to remember things or think as clearly as before.

Vascular dementia is a common type of dementia caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. It's estimated to affect around 150,000 people in the UK.

Symptoms include slowness of thought, difficulty with planning and understanding problems with concentration, changes to your mood, personality or behaviour, feeling disoriented and confused, and difficulty walking and keeping balance.

These problems can make daily activities increasingly difficult and someone with the condition may eventually be unable to look after themselves.

There's currently no cure for vascular dementia and there's no way to reverse any loss of brain cells that happened before the condition was diagnosed.

Brian had always been a very healthy man before suddenly becoming confused and disorientated three years ago.

Newsquest, Colin Mearns (Image: Newsquest, Colin Mearns)

His family have now watched as his condition has deteriorated but are thankful he remains lucid and able to talk to them.

Caroline said: “Dementia is a horrendous illness, it is the worst disease.

“It started with him getting a bit mixed up. At first we thought it was just his age.

“It got worse which has been so hard for our family to see. He is still lucid though, he just has a very bad memory.

“Up until three years ago you would never have believed his age until he got dementia.

“Lately it has taken a really sharp dip and he can be very confused now.”

Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia in Scotland.

About 20% of people with dementia have vascular dementia. Another 20% have vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease at the same time, according to Alzheimer Scotland.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police received a report of concern for a person on Fenwick Road in Giffnock around 5.55am on Thursday, September 1, 2022.

“The man was traced safe and well a short time later and was taken home.”

A free 24-hour Freephone Dementia Helpline provides information, signposting and emotional support to people with the illness, their families, friends and professionals.

You can contact help via helpline@alzscot.org or 0808 808 3000.

Helpline volunteers also have a panel of expert advisers who can help answer more complex enquiries.

The 24-hour helpline is confidential, and you don't have to give your name if you would prefer not to.