La Plata Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities Initiative

Proposal Abstract
 
The Town of La Plata seeks $127,125 for its La Plata Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities (LP-RIDMI) initiative. LP-RIDMI’s purpose is to reduce the number of deaths and injuries of individuals with forms of dementia, or with developmental disabilities who wander from safe environments, through the implementation of locative technology and an associated public outreach campaign involving a variety of local agencies and businesses.

Participation in the LP-RIDMI will be a part of each individual’s person-centered plan. The LP-RIDMI has three components:

1) Officer training in how to use the technology, how officers to maximize effectiveness in locating persons with forms of dementia or developmental disabilities who wander; and how to interact with people who have these disabling conditions.

2)  Multi-media public outreach/public education campaign—to introduce the program’s purpose and how to participate in the locative technology program. The campaign will involve print media, Internet advertising, social media, and promotional materials.

3)  Program coordinator—to manage program implementation, including providing inventory control, seeking community and officer feedback on the initiative, managing and evaluating the public outreach campaign, and submitting quarterly reports.

4)  A locative technology system that will help find vulnerable people who have wandered as a condition of their disability.

La Plata’s population is expected to double in the next 10 years. U.S. Census data shows that approximately 166,000 people live in the County, and approximately 10,000 people live in La Plata. This does not account for the number of people who work in and commute through the Town. Individuals over the age of 65 account for approximately 16% of La Plata residents.

The LPPD will collaborate with the following local organizations to distribute information to their stakeholders and clients about the locative technology initiative:

1) Charles County Department of Health
2) Charles County Department of Social Services
3) Charles County Department of Aging and Senior Services: Between 2018 and 2021, made 52 referrals to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office’s elopement program.
4) Charles County Public Schools: For this school year, there are 966 students in the County with a primary diagnosis of either autism (433), developmental delay (399), or intellectual disability (164).
5) Sagepoint Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Sagepoint Gardens
6) Genesis Health Care

Successful implementation of this initiative will reduce the number of lives lost and injuries related to elopement by those with forms of dementia and with developmental disabilities.