NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A 62-year old woman with dementia left her residence on Watkins Place and was located almost 4 hours late about a mile away on Webster Avenue by New Rochelle Police Officers utilizing a Project LifeSaver Antenna.
On March 17th, at approximately 9:25 am., New Rochelle Police Officers responded to a private residence on on a report of a missing 62-year-old female. Subsequent investigation revealed that female was missing since 6:00am. At about 9:45am, police detected a signal on Webster Avenue, over one mile away from her residence. The missing person was then located unharmed, and was safely returned to her residence.
The woman is enrolled in the Project LifeSaver Program, and was wearing a bracelet size, personal radio transmitting device that is provided to elderly persons and persons with cognitive behavior disorders such as Alzheimer’s, autism, and memory loss, who have a tendency to wander from their place of residence.
County residents caring for a senior with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia should be aware of Project Lifesaver, which just might save the lives of their elderly loved ones should they wander from their homes.
Project Lifesaver is a free program that uses radio-frequency technology to find seniors who stray and return them safely to their families.
Through Project Lifesaver, seniors are fitted with bracelets with special batteries. Then, should they wander away, specifically trained and equipped police from the Westchester County Department of Public Safety can find them using radio signals that the bracelets transmit.
Project Lifesaver is sponsored by the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services and its Livable Communities initiative, the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services and International Project Lifesaver. The program is administered by Westchester Jewish Community Services.
DSPS Commissioner Mae Carpenter said, “Project Lifesaver is one of many programs the department sponsors to support caregivers. Caring for an elderly person is an act of love by a family member, but is often an exhausting and lonely job. That’s why neighbors and others in the community must volunteer to lend a hand.”
Westchester Jewish Community Services is the current program administrator for Project Lifesaver. For more information or to register, call Westchester Jewish Community Services at (914) 761-0600 Ext. 2230 or send an e-mail to ipettersen@WJCS.com.