practical living of the same age. They also walk day and night. So, the risk to them is that they would become very fatigued. They are at risk of losing very large amounts of weight in a very short amount of time.
They are also sleep-deprived, which puts them at more risk of experiencing falls and becoming injured from that. And they lose that ability to navigate accurately, so they can become lost, they can become trapped in areas they can’ t get themselves out of, or they could go out walking and not be able to return home safely on their own.
So the risks there are quite numerous, and unfortunately they are life-threatening.
When would it be appropriate to put out a Silver Alert? How would such a system be used in a way that respects a person’ s autonomy? We know that when a person with dementia becomes lost, the longer they are lost, the greater the chances they won’ t be found alive. So, putting out an immediate alert, within an hour of someone being reported as missing, increases the chance of that person being found.
What we also know from past events is that the majority of people who are found deceased are only a kilometre away from where they were last seen. Being able to conduct an intense search of the immediate area as soon as that person becomes lost is really important.
With something like the Silver or Purple Alert, the message is sent out to a large population. With the Purple Alert for example, personal information about that person is also sent. That would include things like a picture and a general description – height, weight, the type of clothes they were wearing – and that information would only be enough to conduct an effective search. So we’ re still maintaining the privacy of that person, and none of this would be disseminated without the permission of the person, their next of kin, or the person living with them.
What else could be done to ensure for the safety of people with dementia who are reported lost? The key thing here is making sure that alert is sent out very quickly. As soon as the person is found to be missing, the police should be contacted. And when you’ re speaking to the police, make it very clear that the person does have a diagnosis of dementia and that the potential for them to become lost is very great. So, raising that awareness to report early rather than waiting to see if someone returns.
Also, being proactive in caring for the person with dementia and letting people know that they do have a diagnosis of dementia and, therefore, they could be at risk of becoming lost. So, letting your neighbours know, the cafe owner where you go and have your coffee, the shopkeepers you visit regularly – let them know that there is a potential for this to happen, so that if the person with dementia is seen in the street alone, they can be helped. ■
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