Maristone Senior Living CEO Urges Support of National Silver Alert Legislation
Posted February 15th, 2009 by Anonymous
Nashville, TN-For Immediate Release-February 11, 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation authored by Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), the National Silver Alert Act (H.R. 632), to help law enforcement quickly locate missing seniors.
Silver Alert is a public notification system, similar to Amber Alert, that is triggered by the report of a missing senior with Alzheimer's or other mental impairment. Silver Alert uses a wide array of media outlets - such as radio, television, and highway signs - to broadcast information about missing persons in order to aid in their return.
"Time is critical when it comes to finding missing seniors," says Maristone Senior Living CEO Karen Shayne. "More than 5 million people suffer from Alzheimer's, many of them are wanderers. Finding them quickly can be a matter of life and death. I applaud the passage of this legislation and urge everyone to voice their support of it."
The legislation creates a voluntary national system as well as a position for a national Silver Alert Coordinator within the U.S. Department of Justice. Under the bill, the Silver Alert Coordinator will consult with such agencies as the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Transportation, and the Administration of Aging within the Department of Health and Human Services to develop best practices for Silver Alert programs. The bill will authorize up to $10 million in state grants to develop and maintain Silver Alert programs.
"Right now there's a move in Tennessee to form a Silver Alert Network," says Shayne. "Sen. Diane Black, R-Gallatin, has proposed a Silver Alert bill in the General Assembly. Hopefully support from the federal level will help facilitate the passage of a statewide program."
"In the meantime I urge all seniors to register with the Alzheimer's Association sponsored Medic Alert/Safe Return program. This puts your name in a database, so if a loved one becomes missing, first responders in your community are notified. Once found they can be identified and returned to their loved ones. Maristone Senior Living is proud to be a safe return enrollment site."