Las Vegas, Nevada and Palo Alto, California– September 4, 2013 ― September is the second global World Alzheimer’s Month, an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigma about Alzheimer’s Disease. For AlertID, the free nationwide program that helps families to Live Safely, it is a great time to share tips and tools to help protect loved ones with Alzheimer’s and offer solutions for their families.
It is estimated that every year, 60-70% of individuals with Alzheimer’s, or more than 3 million people, will wander from safety and often do not have the ability to recall their names, addresses or contact information. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that about half of those who wander and are not found within 24 hours may suffer serious injury or even death, and FBI National Crime Information Center notes that there are roughly 50,000 cases of missing adults in the U.S. each year.
AlertID helps protect Alzheimer’s patients and their families by giving them the ability to share information with law enforcement and other family members quickly in the event that an elderly member of the family becomes missing, helping to reunite families and protect the more than 5 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
AlertID is able to help missing and endangered adults and their families in several ways:
AlertID Broadcast System™ (ABS) is available for free to law enforcement agencies. With ABS, law enforcement can broadcast alerts that can include pictures and other important information to AlertID members when an elderly person becomes missing. This information goes directly to member’s smartphones and emails, giving law enforcement the ability to quickly reach large numbers of people who can then help search for the missing loved one and contact authorities with any information, which can help shorten search times and reunite families.
AlertID’s Secure Social Network (SSN) provides a safe and secure way for families to communicate. Caregivers can create their own groups on AlertID’s SSN, which allows them to safely communicate and send out their own broadcast alerts to everyone in the group (family, caregivers, friends, health professionals) should their loved one wander from safety.
My Family Wallet™, part of AlertID’s free mobile app, and it provides families with a secure, convenient way to store current information and updated photos of their loved ones directly on their smart phones. In the event that a caregiver needs to report a missing elderly family member, this critical information can be sent to law enforcement or other security officials in seconds with the push of a button, allowing the search to begin immediately.
“AlertID is a powerful tool that offers families and law enforcement a solution to the difficult problem of keeping our loved ones with Alzheimer’s safe,” said Keli Wilson, mother of three and founder of AlertID. “Our goal is to help protect every member of the family and give them the tools to help in an emergency.”
To sign up for a free AlertID account, or for more information, please go to www.AlertID.com.
