Family pleads for elderly couple's return after leaving care facility

The daughter of an elderly couple missing in Melbourne's south-east has pleaded with her parents to come home.

Eighty-nine-year-old Colin and 83-year-old Claudette checked themselves out of an aged care facility near Ferntree Gully Road in Wheelers Hill at 11:15am on Saturday.

"They were recently in respite care, and it was such a change for them," their daughter Linda McKelvie said.

"It was really overwhelming for them, and they didn’t really like being in care.

"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."

Victoria Police said CCTV footage showed the pair leaving The Glen Shopping Centre about midday Saturday and then at nearby Brandon Park Shopping Centre shortly after.

The vehicle they were driving, a white Mazda 2, was last seen on the Monash Freeway heading in a westerly direction at about 5:30pm.

Ms McKelvie said this was "extremely out of character" for her parents and she was concerned for their welfare given their age and several medical conditions they have.

"Dad's actually quite physically fit and active for his age, but he’s been experiencing some short-term memory loss, and he was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and mum was recently diagnosed with vascular dementia," she said.

She said her mum was recovering from some falls and required a wheelchair to get around as well as daily seizure medication.

On Sunday, Victoria Police confirmed the couple had stopped at a pharmacy to get a number of prescriptions filled but were unsure how long they would last.

Ms McKelvie said the family, including a number of great-grandchildren, were all worried and waiting for their return.

"Please come home, mum and dad, or at least call us," she said.

"We're all so worried about you, even the grandkids. We’re all at your home waiting just to make sure you're OK."

Police say couple attempted to leave before

After hearing the couple had discharged themselves from the aged care facility, neighbour Sharon Jeikishore went to their Glen Waverley home but said there were no signs of them there.

"I walked up to the house; the house was completely silent. There were no lights on, I knocked a couple of times, no response … and that's when I think alarm bells went off," she said.

The couple, who have been married for about 65 years, were described as "best friends".

"There's nothing they wouldn't do for each other; they're ride or die," Ms Jeikishore said.

Acting Inspector Luke McDonald said it was not the first time the couple had attempted to leave the aged care facility.

"I’ve been made aware that there may have been some dissatisfaction with their placement at the care facility and they may have made an attempt to leave it earlier in the week, he said.

Anyone who sees the couple is urged to contact Triple Zero, or anyone with information that may be of assistance is being asked to call the Glen Waverley Police Station.