Everywhere in the world, individuals who have Alzheimer’s and other similar disorders are prone to wandering off and sometimes end up dead when found. This was the case of Nancy Paulikas, a 55-year old senior who wandered off in late 2016 during a visit to the Los Angeles Museum of Art.
To combat this, Los Angeles County has launched ‘L. A Found’, a program aimed at finding missing seniors in Los Angeles faster.
L.A Found was implemented in October by the county and was commemorated after Nancy Paulikas who was found dead after missing for five months. The program is believed to help find seniors with dementia and autism faster. Over 250 residents of Los Angeles have benefitted from the program, and it has already helped save four missing persons. One of these is a 53-year old woman with dementia who wandered away from her family.
Kirk Moody, Nancy Paulikas’ husband who had earlier, reiterated his disappointment in the security agencies for not locating his wife, and not duly communicating with him during the search period has declared he is pleased with the improvement and sees it as a huge victory.
The L.A Found program track seniors electronically through voluntarily worn bracelets with receivers in patrol cars and helicopters belonging to the Los Angeles Sheriff Department.
Janice Hahn, the Los Angeles County Supervisor, says the county’s law enforcement agencies, nursing facilities, hospitals, and transit system will all work together to aid the functionality and success of the program. He further declared their readiness to find the next Jane Doe.
Statistics from the Alzheimer’s Association and Interactive Autism Network shows 60% of people with dementia wander away while about 49% of children with autism will exhibit wandering behavior.
