A petition has been launched to the federal government for a ‘Silver Alert’ program to be launched nation-wide.
This would be similar to how amber alerts work, but instead of informing people of a missing child, it would inform the public of seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s who have gone missing.
The petition originated in Victoria, and was launched by Britt Moberg, whose 81-year-old father went missing in Winnipeg last December and still has not been found.
“I initiated a petition to the Government of Canada to develop a National Silver Alert System to provide notification when a vulnerable adult with dementia or other cognitive impairment goes missing so they can be brought home safely,” said Moberg.
According to the Alzheimer Society, nearly one million people will be living with dementia by the year 2030 in Canada, and that number is projected to increase to over 1.7 million by 2050.
The chances of people with dementia going missing, at least one, is around 60%, according to Public Safety Canada.
Additionally, if someone with Alzheimer’s goes missing, there is a 50% chance they will be injured or die of hypothermia, dehydration or drowning if they are not found within 12 hours.
The proposed Silver Alert system would mitigate these injuries and deaths by informing everyone in the vicinity of the missing individual.
Research shows that vulnerable seniors who get lost and go missing are usually within four to 12 kilometres of their last known location.
Given this data, the proposed Silver Alerts could be geographically targeted to mobile devices in the localized area.
“Amber Alerts exist for vulnerable children,” Moberg wrote in the national petition.
“Many adults living with dementia are similarly vulnerable, but they are not yet protected by a similar system.”
This petition is very relevant to recent events in Saanich, where a 64-year-old man with dementia, Christian, has gone missing in the PKOLS area.
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Saanich Police have been updating the public via social media and sending press releases to members of the media, but a Silver Alert system would amplify their communications significantly.
Moberg says that Silver Alerts will save lives.
The petition is open until January 20th. As of this publication, 1,340 Canadians have signed the petition.
