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A 10-year old collaboration between the Department of Justice
(DoJ), the Alzheimer’s Association and local law enforcement
agencies that addresses the dangerous problem of wandering,
which is unique to dementia. Persons with Alzheimer’s
may become disoriented and lost, even in their own neighborhood
or places that are familiar to them. Wandering is one of
the most common, frequent and potentially life-threatening
behaviors associated with Alzheimer’s disease, in
addition to being one of the greatest challenges facing
caregivers. Individuals who wander are confused and often
unable to ask for help, leaving them vulnerable to weather,
traffic and those who prey on the less fortunate. Nearly
60 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease will
wander, and up to 70 percent of wanderers do so repeatedly.
Research estimates that over 127,000 critical wandering
incidents occur each year. If not found within the first
24 hours, up to half of all persons with dementia who wander
will become seriously injured or die.
Safe Return, a nationwide registry and proactive search-and-locator
service, is successful in finding and returning 98 percent
of registered people with dementia who wander and become
lost. Eight-eight percent of Safe Return registrants who
wander are found within the first 4 hours of being reported
missing. Safe Return is popular not just with families but
also with law enforcement and fire departments because it
helps locate someone who might otherwise go unidentified
for hours or days – saving valuable time and allowing
police and emergency personnel to focus on other national
and local security concerns. In the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, Safe Return provided dementia training sessions
to various health care audiences across the state of Louisiana,
laying the groundwork for ongoing education of law enforcement
personnel and first responders to enhance disaster preparedness
efforts statewide. The Alzheimer’s Association urges
Congress to provide $900,000 for Safe Return to increase
awareness of the program, enhance training for law enforcement
personnel about Alzheimer’s disease and ensure the
safety of individuals with Alzheimer’s.
Next: State Matching Grants Program
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Safe Return, a nationwide registry and proactive search-and-locator service, is successful in finding and returning 98 percent of registered people with dementia who wander and become lost.
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