Politics & Government

O'Malley Wants to Expand Silver Alert Notification System for Missing Elders

A system could quickly notify agencies that look for missing elderly residents.

West Roxbury District Councilor Matt O’Malley led a public hearing on Thursday to discuss possibly implementing a Boston-wide Silver Alert system, which would notify the media and appropriate agencies when an elderly person is missing.

O'Malley suggested one option is expanding the Boston Police Department’s North Star program, which "is a voluntary program for parents, guardians or caretakers of children and individuals that may have a tendency to wander or are a flight risk from a specific location (home, school, nursing home etc.)," according to BPDnews.com.

“It is clear from today’s hearing that the city is doing some great work to protect the city’s most vulnerable citizens including elderly residents with cognitive impairments,” said O’Malley, who represents West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain.  “I want to encourage and support better coordination and communication among law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and agencies that serve the elderly so that we can respond as quickly as possible when an elderly person is missing.”

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O’Malley, chair of the Environment & Health Committee, was joined at the hearing by At-Large City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, chair of the Committee on Women & Healthy Communities.

The hearing included testimony from Emily Shea, Boston's Elderly Affairs commissioner; Gerald Flaherty, vice president of medical and scientific programs for the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts and New Hampshire; Superintendent Timothy Holland from Boston EMS; and Boston Police Officer Michelle Maffeo.

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O’Malley said Boston residents could benefit from a Silver Alert system. Not beholden to one method, the councilor said he also supports the expansion of the city’s North Star Program. According to the City, to date about 30 people are registered with the program, which recently begun.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, and people with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other cognitive impairments may exhibit wandering behaviors and disorientation. Association statistics show more than 60 percent of people with dementia will wander off at some point. 

More than 20 states, including Massachusetts, have instituted a Silver Alert program or similar system for locating missing seniors, similar to the Amber Alert for missing children. In August 2010 Governor Deval Patrick signed legislation creating s Silver Alert Community Response System in Massachusetts - however, that system has not been funded.


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