The body of a vulnerable woman who left her home barefoot was discovered in a pond half a mile from her home, an inquest has heard.
Ann Cartledge was found on May 5, less than 24 hours after being reported as missing from her home in Wymondham. She was 68.
An inquest into her death heard that the evening before Miss Cartledge had sparked a police search when she left her property, which involved officers on foot, dogs and drone use.
Linda Ford, her sister, told the court Miss Cartledge had been suffering from Alzheimer's for the past two years of her life, which in recent months had been deteriorating.
She said this had resulted in her sister becoming increasingly accident-prone and developing a tendency to wander off from the home she shared with her elderly mother and brother.
In response to this, her brother - who was also her carer - ensured doors were locked when she was home.
But on this occasion, he had left the keys in the lock and after having a shower noticed his sister had left the home and raised the alarm.
The following morning, her body was discovered in a pond in Silfield, just over half a mile from her home.
Meanwhile, the court heard that just over a month before her death, her GP had referred Miss Cartledge to dementia support services after her sister highlighted her concerns.
But Risty Palomar, of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, confirmed that the referral had been declined "with full agreement" from the family.
A safeguarding review following her death found that while it was an "oversight" of her brother not to remove the keys, it was not considered neglect.
Johanna Thompson, assistant coroner for Norfolk, concluded that Miss Cartledge died an accidental death.
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