Governor Beebe's Weekly Column and Radio Address: Silver Alert Program

Statement

Governor Beebe's Weekly Column and Radio Address: Silver Alert Program

Thousands of Arkansans are currently living with some form of dementia, and as our population ages over the course of the next 10 years, these numbers will only increase. In fact, the number of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease or a similar form of dementia is expected to triple by 2050 - to 16 million. Approximately 60 percent of these patients will wander away from their caregivers at some point, and about half of those who are not found within 24 hours will suffer serious injury or death. If the wandering patient has access to a vehicle, the potential for critical injury - to him or herself, or to another driver - escalates dramatically.

The Arkansas Silver Alert is an important new tool that will help to protect the safety of thousands of our fellow citizens who are living with one of these insidious diseases.
Recently, the Arkansas State Police, the Arkansas Sheriff's Association and the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police announced the launch of this program, which provides for statewide public notification when a person with a cognitive disorder has wandered away from home or from a care facility.

The Silver Alert will allow caregivers or family members to report missing individuals to local law-enforcement agencies, who can then activate the Silver Alert System through the Arkansas State Police. Information about the missing individual will be distributed statewide to law-enforcement agencies, news organizations, and individuals who have subscribed to the Silver Alert Notification System.

The Arkansas Silver Alert System addresses the needs of persons with dementia and their families and includes training of first responders and coordinating search efforts among families, caregivers, and local authorities. It is built on the same software platform as the State's highly effective Morgan Nick Amber Alert System, which is used to broadcast information about missing children. Both systems depend on subscribers to make them as effective as possible. You can subscribe by visiting the Arkansas State Police Web site at www.asp.state.ar.us and following the links located at the bottom of the page.

I want to especially recognize State Representative Butch Wilkins of Bono. His passion for helping Arkansans stricken with Alzheimer's disease, and their families, brought the need for the Silver Alert to my attention. Representative Wilkins, along with representatives of the Arkansas Alzheimer's Association and AARP, worked tirelessly with the State Police, county sheriffs, and municipal police to ensure that this system will work to protect the safety of some of Arkansas's most vulnerable citizens. I believe that having this system in place will result in a greater peace of mind for all those in Arkansas who are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or other cognitive disorders.

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