Daughter Pleads for Return of Elderly Couple Missing in Melbourne

The daughter of an elderly couple missing in Melbourne's southeast has made an emotional plea for her parents to return home. Colin, 89, and Claudette, 83, left their aged care facility near Ferntree Gully Road in Wheelers Hill at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday. Their daughter, Linda McKelvie, believes they may have left because they were overwhelmed by the change and simply wanted to be together at home. "They just want to be together and be at home so we do wonder whether that's probably part of it, [whether] they've gone somewhere just to be together," McKelvie said. Victoria Police confirmed CCTV footage shows the couple leaving The Glen Shopping Centre around midday Saturday and later at the nearby Brandon Park Shopping Centre. Their white Mazda 2 was last sighted on the Monash Freeway heading west around 5:30 p.m. McKelvie described the disappearance as "extremely out of character" for her parents, expressing deep concern for their welfare given their advanced age and several medical conditions. Colin has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and is experiencing short-term memory loss, while Claudette has vascular dementia, has had recent falls, requires a wheelchair, and needs daily seizure medication. Police confirmed the couple stopped at a pharmacy to fill prescriptions but are unsure how long their medication supply will last. The family, including great-grandchildren, are anxiously awaiting their safe return. "Please come home, mum and dad, or at least call us," McKelvie pleaded. "We're all so worried about you, even the grandkids. We’re all at your home waiting just to make sure you're OK." A neighbor, Sharon Jeikishore, visited their home after hearing they had left the facility but found it silent and dark, raising her alarm. Jeikishore described the couple, married for about 65 years, as "best friends" who are inseparable. Acting Inspector Luke McDonald noted that this was not the first time the couple had attempted to leave the facility, suggesting potential dissatisfaction with their placement.

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They just want to be together and be at home so we do wonder whether that's probably part of it, [whether] they've gone somewhere just to be together.