Alzheimer's Foundation Of America Grants Provide Life Saving Coverage To Help Locate Those Gone Missing

While on a holiday cruise in the Caribbean last year, Robert Melnick wandered off during an emergency evacuation exercise. His wife, Dolores, was concerned that he might have fallen overboard, but, luckily, crew members found him 45 minutes later on an empty deck, wondering where everyone else had gone.

Back home in Mt. Holly, NJ, Mrs. Melnick also used to constantly worry about where her husband would wander off to next. Mr. Melnick, 67, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2002, and since has gone missing several times around the couple's neighborhood. Neighbors would find him wandering around and call his wife to escort him home.

Now, Mrs. Melnick has less to worry about, thanks to a strategic partnership between the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA), a national nonprofit organization focused on care issues related to Alzheimer's disease, and Project Lifesaver International, a rapid response system to track wanderers. Mr. Melnick now wears one of Project Lifesaver's wristband transmitters that emits a continuous silent radio signal that law enforcement officials can track with special receivers once a person has been reported missing.

Tags: AT, LTC, wandering