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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Three Florida counties will test a new way to alert authorities when Alzheimer's patients walk away from caretakers.
The Lost on Foot Silver Alert builds on another program that tracks down Alzheimer's patients who get lost while driving. The Sun Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/1VXUrkJ ) that Brevard, Broward and Palm Beach counties will test the new pedestrian alert system in May.
The Lost on Foot program is designed to find patients quickly and keep them from wandering again. Police departments and other agencies working with seniors and caregivers will collect photos and information about a patient's favorite places to go and wandering history.
Police will activate a Lost on Foot Silver Alert when they receive a 911 call about a missing elderly person with Alzheimer's or a similar neurological disorder.
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Information from: Sun Sentinel , http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
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