CARSON CITY (AP) — Washoe County authorities have launched a program aimed at keeping seniors with dementia from wandering away from home, and tracking them electronically if they do.
The Washoe County Sheriff's Office and groups including the Alzheimer's Association of Northern Nevada and Nevada Aging and Disability Services are joining forces on the wandering initiative.
They've stocked patrol cars with "wandering kits" to give away. They include an inexpensive door alarm and door knob covers that can prevent people with cognitive disorders from slipping away unnoticed by their caregivers.
They're also offering bracelets with radio transmitters so police can quickly locate people who wander.
Organizers of the initiative said it will help prevent expensive manhunts, and will ensure authorities can quickly find vulnerable people before they're exposed to the elements for too long.