Gold Alert: How It Helps Locate Missing Seniors

The NamUs database reports that about 600,000 Americans go missing annually. Seniors with cognitive decline are at a higher risk of vanishing.

That's where the Gold Alert program comes in!

This emergency alert program is meant to promote senior safety and find those who wander away. Read on to learn how a Gold Alert works and why it's important.

What Is a Gold Alert?

A Gold Alert is a type of missing person alert. It's outlined in Title 11 of the Delaware Code Online.

Similar to an Amber Alert, which helps authorities track down missing children, Gold Alerts are designed to help law enforcement find vulnerable adults and bring them home.

Gold Alerts are especially important for seniors because they're designed to alert others that someone with cognitive decline is missing.

This cognitive decline may be mild, but Gold Alerts frequently are issued for those with:

• Dementia
• Alzheimer's
• Parkinson's disease

Gold Alerts are issued by law enforcement agencies when someone tells them a vulnerable person is missing.

It's a three-step process in which:

1. Someone reports the person missing
2. Authorities see whether the individual meets the criteria for a Gold Alert
3. Authorities initiate the alert process after ascertaining that the missing person meets its criteria

The alert includes information like:

• A description of the missing person
• A photo showing the individual
• Their last known location
• Concerns from family members
• What to do if someone sees the person

The aim of a Gold Alert is to enlist the public to report any sightings of the missing person. This will give authorities the clues needed to find them and bring them home safely.

How Are Gold Alerts Initiated?

After working with families and assisted living community caregivers to gather information, authorities disseminate a report about the missing person. This alerts the public to the Gold Alert and tells them who they should keep an eye out for.

Authorities frequently broadcast the alert on TV and the radio. Sometimes, they can send an alert to people's phones in the area where the senior was last seen.

Social media is also an invaluable resource for Gold Alerts. Law enforcement can post photos and information on their pages and encourage followers to share them. This proliferates information quickly and increases the chances that someone will see the missing senior.

Law enforcement may also put emergency alerts on electronic message boards. These boards may be above highways or in residential driving areas.

Electronic boards in areas where the senior may have wandered mean immediate assistance in tracking them down. People can keep an eye out for seniors in the areas where they're most likely to be.

The Importance of Missing Senior Programs

Seniors with cognitive decline face struggles that other adults do not.

Dementia wandering is among the worst of these issues. The Alzheimer's Association reports that 60% of those with dementia will become lost or confused about their location at some point. It's critical to be prepared for this to happen since it's more likely to take place than not.

This is a serious safety hazard. Those who wander often do not know where they are. They may be completely unaware that they're walking on a busy street or onto someone else's property.

Gold Alert programs can also promote safety for those who choose to walk in the dark. With more people looking for a missing senior, it's easier to find them.

This decreases the risk of:

• Getting lost in unsafe areas
• Walking in front of moving vehicles
• Being unable to find the way home
• Trespassing on others' property
• Difficulty getting back to their room, even when inside the home
• Fainting in public due to exhaustion or hunger

The Role of Gold Alerts

Gold alerts promote safety by offering a rapid response to missing persons cases.

This is especially true when Delaware authorities provide the public with additional resources to help find the person. These resources may include:

• A special missing-persons case number
• A hotline that people can call with tips
• Information on how to approach the missing person safely without hurting them

Most missing persons who survive are found within 72 hours. The likelihood of finding them alive decreases as time goes on.

As a result, it's critical to make the most of the first days after a senior goes missing. Gold Alerts make this possible by encouraging rapid response.

Memory Care: Promoting Senior Safety

While Gold Alerts are invaluable resources during missing persons cases, the best way to prevent injury is to stop wandering in the first place.

Memory care communities are especially designed for seniors who contend with cognitive decline. In these communities, seniors unlock:

• Compassionate daily care to maintain hygiene and personal needs
• Activities like puzzles and games that boost critical thinking
• Memory and cognition exercises to keep them as sharp as possible
• Sensory-stimulating experiences to promote awareness of their surroundings
• A sense of accomplishment through focusing on their strengths
• Purpose-driven life enrichment

Most importantly, memory care communities have a wide range of safety features to prevent dementia wandering. Some include:

• Monitoring of residents
• Alert systems when someone leaves the community unexpectedly

Caregivers in these living options are trained and certified in working with patients with dementia. They'll understand how to talk to them when they're confused or aggressive.

At State Street, memory care professionals are constantly undergoing training on how to keep residents safe and secure while in the community. Dementia and Alzheimer's support has never been easier to access.

Transitioning your loved one to our community is a great way to minimize safety risks that could cause a Gold Alert to be issued.

Enhance Senior Lifestyles in Dover, DE

Now that you know the ins and outs of Delaware's Gold Alert program, it's time to promote senior safety at a quality assisted living community.

State Street is committed to offering the best memory care services in Dover. Our enhanced security features and constant monitoring ensure that individuals with cognitive decline remain safe, dignified, and comfortable.

We're committed to superior service and compassionate care, so contact us to learn more about what our community has to offer.