Taking steps to help hundreds of thousands of families across Massachusetts, including my own, today I proudly voted for legislation to establish a ‘Silver Alert’ program to assist in locating seniors with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia who have gone missing.

The Silver Alert, similar to that of the Amber Alert program, would provide for a coordinated approach to locating an individual with dementia. The legislation calls for dementia-specific training of first responders and public safety officials, the implementation of a reverse 9-1-1 system based on already existing call centers, notification to the media and a standing operating procedure for first responders when an adult with memory impairment is reported missing.
 
The required training provision for first responders included in the bill will be incorporated into emergency personnel training procedures that are currently in practice.
 
As many know, my Dad, Ernie, is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. For him, all those suffering with dementia and our families, I’m hopeful that this legislation will provide an important safety-net to keep our seniors out of harm’s way.
 
To read more, courtesy of The Boston Channel, click http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/24437971/detail.html