|
Right Time, Right Place —
A MedicAlert + Safe Return Success Story
Over the past several years,
Safe Return has enjoyed a
productive and mutually
beneficial relationship with the New
York City Police Department, in part
due to ongoing educational outreach
on behalf of the MedicAlert®
+ Alzheimer’s Association Safe
Return® program. As Safe Return
Community Outreach Associate, I
travel to precincts throughout the five
boroughs to educate police officers
about the MedicAlert + Safe Return
program, as well as the Chapter’s
other programs and services.
 As I was preparing to begin a
role call presentation at a precinct in
Queens, two police officers entered
with an elderly man. At first glance, the elderly man appeared
intoxicated because he was babbling and unable to walk
straight. The offi cers checked his pockets but could not fi nd
any identifying information. When asked about his name,
address and family, he was only able to give his full name and
his wife’s first name. As I observed the situation, it appeared
that he had dementia. Although well-dressed and groomed,
the elderly man was very
confused, could not speak
coherently and could
not recall how he got
to the precinct or what
led up to this situation.
After several minutes,
I introduced myself and
explained the reason for
my being there. I suggested
that the man in question
could have dementia
and therefore was having
a hard time remembering
any identifying information.
Although he wasn’t
wearing a MedicAlert +
Safe Return bracelet or
necklace, I suggested he
might be registered.
I asked the officers to call the MedicAlert + Safe Return
emergency line; someone would check his full name and
his wife’s first name in the database. Although skeptical,
the offi cers agreed to call. During my presentation, I spoke
to the other officers about the importance of calling the
MedicAlert + Safe Return emergency line when they
have the slightest feeling that a person is memory impaired.
This incident was the perfect example to highlight why
they should always call — even if the person has no ID.
After my presentation, the officer who had questioned
the elderly man approached me with a huge smile and
announced: “He is registered! His wife is coming to get
him shortly.” The offi cer told me he didn’t think calling
the number would work, but was glad he tried. If contact
information for the elderly man had not been discovered,
he would have been taken to the local hospital until family
members or someone else claimed him. The NYPD
would have taken hours to escort him to the hospital, file
a missing persons report and investigate if he had been
reported missing. I was ecstatic, told the officer I was glad
to help and asked him to share his experience with the
other offi cers because it
can help so many families.
This example speaks to
the importance of the work
of the Chapter and how
crucial it is to get the word
out about MedicAlert +
Safe Return. Although
the offi cer was unaware,
the elderly man clearly
exhibited some of the
typical signs of Alzheimer’s
disease — memory loss,
problems with language
and disorientation to
time and place. The more
police offi cers know about
Alzheimer’s disease and
other related dementias, as
well as programs like MedicAlert + Safe Return, the more
prepared they will be when encountering a person with
the disease.
To report a missing or found
person with dementia, please
call our 24-hour nationwide
emergency line at
1.800.572.1122 or 1.800.625.3780.
For presentations about the
MedicAlert + Safe Return
program, contact Elizabeth
Bravo Santiago, MedicAlert
+ Safe Return Manager, at 646-744-2918 or by e-mail at esantiago@alznyc.org.
— Niurqui Mariano,
Safe Return Community Outreach Associate
 Previous | Next 
|
