Mr Driessen, who has been living with Alzheimer's Disease for five years, had been admitted to Benalla Hospital on Thursday.
His wife, and full-time carer, Elizabeth said he had decided to go home about 6 pm and had subsequently had a fall on hospital grounds.
“We are very lucky he was found before dark and that it was a warm evening,” Mrs Driessen said.
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“I want to say thank you to Benalla Police and Wangaratta Police who were both looking for him.
“We had the helicopter out and police on the ground searching for him.
“He doesn't understand why he is in hospital.
“He is a bit disoriented and was just trying to come home.
“Every time I have been to visit him he has tried to come home.
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“So on Sunday night he managed to get through a door and then out a gate and onto a grassy area.
“But he is not so good on his feet and had a fall.
“The security guard found him, he has been checked out and apart from some cuts and scratches he is okay and back in the hospital.”
Mrs Driessen said it had been difficult in recent weeks and despite having the help of their son, who lived with them, it was likely John would go into respite care temporarily to give her a break before he could, hopefully, come home.
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“He wakes up sometimes five, six or seven times a night, so I can't sleep very well,” she said.
“He doesn’t have to go in for good, but he still needs to be checked out and if we can get him into more of a routine, so I can get sleep at night, he will be able to come home.
“I am 74 now, and he is 79, so it can be difficult.
“We've been married for 56 years.
“Thank you to everyone at Benalla Hospital, they have been first class.
“And thank you again to the police and all the people who helped find him.”
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