The husband, who is living with dementia, learned morse code while in the military, and used this skill to listen to care workers while they keyed in the access codes to the security doors.
After working out which numbers were being pressed, the man collected his wife, who is living with Alzheimer’s, punched in the code, and the two made their way to freedom.
After 30 minutes, the pair were discovered by a local man, their escape plans thwarted, and safely taken back to Elmcroft assisted living in Nashville, Tennessee in the US.
Later in the day, the husband confessed to having used his spy skills to break out, uncovering the answer to how the couple successfully pulled off their getaway.
The facility released a statement saying that in future they would ensure they would check on the couple more and make certain they have more “walking time outside the facility with a staff member present”.
“The safety of our residents is the top priority at our senior living community. We are thankful both residents were returned to the community safely,” read the statement.
“We reported the situation to the state and their family immediately after it happened, and fully cooperated with the state during its review.”
