Elderly husband who fled care facility with his wife because 'they just wanted to be home together' told his daughter: 'Don't worry, I'll make sure I look after your mum'

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:52, 14 July 2026 | Updated: 12:55, 14 July 2026 An elderly Australian couple who were found after they fled from a care facility left a heartbreaking message behind for their daughter explaining their escape. Colin, 89, and Claudette Geraghty, 83, left Melbourne's Melba Retirement Village at about 11.15 am on Saturday - after just arriving last Tuesday. The couple did not like being in the home, according to their daughter Linda McKelvie, who said her father had left her a touching message on the day they went missing.  It read: 'Don't worry, thank you for your help, I'll make sure I look after her.' But Ms McKelvie messaged back, terrified for the safety of her parents, who suffer from Alzheimer's and dementia and need daily medication. She texted them: 'Please come home mum and dad, we are all so worried about you. 'Even the grandkids. We are all so worried about you.' She added that her father does not realise he has memory problems. Colin, 89, and Claudette Geraghty, 83, fled their Melbourne retirement home for 32 hours just days after arriving on Tuesday because they 'really didn't like being in care'  They were found 104 miles away from Melbourne after visiting a shopping centre to buy their medication and driving off Colin left his daughter Linda McKelvie a heartbreaking message which read: 'Don't worry, thank you for your help, I'll make sure I look after her.'  The couple was eventually found 32 hours after they disappeared, more than 100 miles away from Melbourne. The pair had gone on a roundabout adventure together. CCTV showed they visited The Glen Shopping Centre, on Springvale Road, bought their daily medication and were last seen leaving at about midday in their white 2015 Mazda 2. The alarm was raised when their neighbour Sharon Jeikishore checked on them later that afternoon and received no answer. They had fled because they did not like being in the home, Ms McKelvie said, but both need full-time care as Colin has Alzheimer's and Claudette is living with vascular dementia and suffers seizures. They were finally found 104 miles north-west of Melbourne, near the town of Maryborough on Sunday night - nearly two days after they had vanished. It was not their first escape attempt that week either, as police were called just days before when the Geraghtys had tried to flee again. They had only been moved into the facility last Tuesday 'I think because they were recently in respite care it was such a change for them,' Ms McKelvie said. 'They didn't really like being in care and I think they just wanted to be home together. 'Dad thinks he can help her … they feel like all their choices are being taken away.' Mr and Mrs Geraghty have been married for 65 years after first meeting on the dance floor.