Dedham Joins Program to Locate, Help Missing Persons with Cognitive Disorders

Dedham officials have announced that the town is participating in a Silver Alert Pre-Registration Pilot Program, an initiative to make information available to local and neighboring police departments before a senior citizen with a tendency to wander is reported missing.

To help protect vulnerable residents, the Dedham Police Department and Dedham Council on Aging are teaming up to pre-register those at risk by compiling and sharing information that could prove useful in locating a cognitively-impaired person who has been reported missing.

As part of the effort, officials will collect up-to-date digital photos of such residents, along with confidential information that could be used to help respond and locate that person if reported missing. The program is also being expanded to include residents with “any serious cognitive impairment.”

Residents with a family member who may suffer from a cognitive impairment are encouraged to contact Dedham Police Officer Richard Cawley at 781-751-9328 or Laura Leventhal at the Dedham Council on Aging at 781-326-1650.

The Dedham Police Department released the following statement regarding the initiative:

“According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2014 Facts and Figures report, an estimated 5.2 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease. Further, one in nine older Americans has Alzheimer’s disease. The Autism Society estimates that 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder. In the United States, it is estimated that one in 68 births is affected. These are two examples of cognitive impairments which can lead to a tendency to wander.

Wandering refers to a need to keep on the move. Wandering is unpredictable. An Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders SAR Research report estimates there are 125,000 critical wandering incidents in the United States each year. A Journal of Pediatrics research study revealed that 49 percent of parents reporting indicated a child with autism spectrum disorder had attempted to wander or run away at least once after age 4. Wandering can expose the person to hazards such as traffic and weather conditions.

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