Promotion of a National Silver Alert Program

This FY 2012 grant announcement focuses on national programs strategically targeted to address community and law enforcement needs. Specifically, this grant announcement focuses on addressing community needs by assisting law enforcement in locating and working with missing persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This initiative is funded under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012; Pub.L.No. 112-55.

This application will sustain and promote a national registry for persons living with Alzheimer's disease or other form of dementia; and/or develop and implement strategies to support law enforcement and public safetys response to persons who wander due to Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Under this effort, up to $300,000 is available.

The University of Florida will use the FY 2012 award to achieve the goal of developing, implementing, and evaluating a national initiative by accomplishing the following three objectives: identify key components of a Silver Alert (SA) program as legislated across a sample of states that are supported by both research and key stakeholders; coalesce stakeholders in different states to define which policies can be universally implemented by law enforcement (LE), aging services, and memory disorders clinics (MDCs) to lead to a rapid and safe recovery of older adults with dementia who become lost on the road or on foot; and have the final product adopted as best practice by key organizations. Key deliverables include: (1) facilitate public awareness events, e-mail blasts, and media campaigns; (2) produce a Public Service Announcement (PSA) which presents SA as a system to be used by those lost while driving or by foot; (3) establish a National SA Workgroup; (4) conduct three webinars with National Workgroup Members (including consensus surveys); (5) identify key components of SA across states which are supported by evidenced-based research; (6) attempt consensus of the National Workgroup; (7) review of data by governmental leaders; (8) produce a SA handbook which includes state-by-state protocols and the results of the National SA Workgroup Alliance. Funds will be used for personnel costs, travel expenses, the PSA, and other costs associated with public awareness campaigns.

CA/NCF