Safe Return

Article submitted by the National Alzheimer's Association www.alz.org.
For more information, they can be reached at their 24-hour helpline: 800-272-3900.

What is Safe Return?

Safe Return™ assists in the safe and timely return of with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias who wander and become lost.

Safe Return staff provide program training, marketing and technical assistance to the chapter network and external audiences. The toll-free crisis line, computerized database and enrollment functions are handled through the national headquarters' Contact Center. Chapters provide emotional support and advocacy for the endangered wanderer's family/caregivers during an incident, market the program to enroll individuals in the community, and provide information and training to law enforcement officials, emergency personnel and other community professionals who may be first responders during a wandering incident. The program has facilitated more than 8,000 safe returns since its inception.

* More than 125,000 individuals have been enrolled in Safe Return.

How does Safe Return impact Alzheimer's Association Southeast Florida Chapter?

Lauren Young, LCSW, Director of Community Education/Helpline Coordinator Alzheimer's Association Southeast Florida Chapter has first hand experience on the reality of how our Chapter and the families we support are impacted by the Safe Return Program everyday.

"In 2004 we served 50 families during wandering incidents, and this year it appears we will far exceed those numbers, as we have already responded to 34 events! I feel this increase in wandering incidents is especially interesting in Palm Beach County where last year we had 30 recorded incidents and this year already 27! I do not know if the increase is due to the fact that we are doing an effective job of outreach and more people are registered with Safe Return or because there are truly more events occurring. The number of incidents I have recorded are only for Safe Return registrants; obviously, the statistics from individual police departments regarding missing/lost reports of older adults is much higher. I feel it's important to educate the community that the Alzheimer's Association maintains Safe Return nationwide statistics on rates of recovery with registration in Safe Return vs. without registration. According to those statistics, 88.4% of Safe Return registrants are found within 24 hours with over 50% being found within 4 hours. On the other side, one study showed only 25% of those not enrolled in a wandering safety program were found within 24 hours. Additionally, the chance of death or serious injury for individuals who are registered with Safe Return is greatly decreased, likely because they recovered quickly. So, it is amazing how important it is to register those who have dementia, memory loss, and especially those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease."