Silver Alerts for Seniors
An article on MSNBC.com, "Silver Alerts help track wandering seniors," discusses a senior-version of Amber Alerts to help keep wandering seniors safe. Read the article here.
The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's is expected to triple by 2050 - to more than 16 million. About 60 percent of such patients wander away from their homes or care facilities at some point, according to the Alzheimer's Association; about half of those who are not found within 24 hours suffer serious injury or even death.
Figures like that are spurring lawmakers to come up with ways to help police find senior citizens who have gone missing. One of the more prominent ideas, usually called Silver Alerts, piggybacks on the success of the Amber Alert program, which broadcasts media bulletins and posts lookout information on highway signs when a child is reported missing.