Silver Alert: I never heard of this before

[MM27]

I was driving to work this morning and they had a few signs with SILVER ALERT and license plate information. I have never heard of this before. Maybe I'm just out of the loop and everyone else knows about this, but I thought I'd share just in case there are others like me. Sort of like an Amber Alert

A Silver Alert is a public notification system in the United States to broadcast information about missing persons — especially seniors with Alzheimer's Disease, dementia or other mental disabilities — in order to aid in their return.

This one in NJ was cancelled, so I'm assuming it means that the 87 year old man was found. Apparently he had gone out grocery shopping, has heart problems and was gone for a long time without his medication.

 

[aeryn]

There are Silver Alerts every other day in Florida it seems like. Of course, this is God's waiting room...

 

[Muushka]

I had never heard of a Silver Alert until a good friend of mine (in FL) had to have one for her father. Poor man was missing for about 4 days and some kind soul noticed that he did not seem right, confused, so they called the police. Good ending!

 

[jamie@dvcstore]

Hi MM27,
Thanks for sharing. This is very good information. As aeryn said in FL we see them quite often, though it is probably not as common in other parts of the US. Thanks again for sharing.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

We've had a couple in the Piedmont. I honestly can't remember how they turned out. I am pretty sure one had a bad ending. Seems like maybe the man drove and got lost and ended up in WV. It's really sad.

 

[MM27]

My dad had Alzheimer's Disease and we had two times when he left the house and just walked and walked. This was about 13 years ago though. Scary stuff. It's nice to know that this is available if needed.

 

[Imzadi]

I'm glad there are alerts. But they need to stop color coding the alerts. That didn't work out too well when it was for the terrorist alerts.

 

[Tinkh]

Is this like an Amber alert only for seniors?

 

[starrzone]

I think this is a geat idea; a good friend of mine's grandmother and grandfather both have Alzheimer's. Their assisted living home had to call the police recently because his grandmother went missing; luckily, they found her (granted, it was asleep on the floor of a church...). They are trying to get both of them into a more secure facility, but the only one around here that is accepting patients wants to split them up (his grandmother's condition is more severe than his grandfather's)...it's so sad.

 

[bumbershoot]

Is this like an Amber alert only for seniors?

Sounds like it.



My grandma had Alzheimers and took some time going fully into it. She would get out of the house and drive and drive...my aunt finally realized she was trying to go places in her hometown of Orange NJ...but they lived in Port Orange FL. So once my aunt realized that she was following a map in her mind, it got easier to find my grandma. And finally the car keys were put away. [My grandma should have been studied...while incredibly sad for us and probably her, it was fascinating how her neurons were firing in the last few years...]

 

[kimblebee]

There are Silver Alerts every other day in Florida it seems like. Of course, this is God's waiting room...

*snort*

 

[pls5286]

They are called Mattie's Call here in GA, after a Senior Citizen who went missing several years ago. We also call Amber Alerts "Levi's Call" after a young boy who went missing named Levi Frady.

All Mattie's Calls and Levi's Calls are posted on GA Lotto machines and go out to all GA Lotto Retailers. I did not know this until recently.

 

[cm8]

Is this like an Amber alert only for seniors?

 

[Handbag Lady]

Good to know. I've never heard of them before.