NEW HARTFORD, IOWA – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley today announced plans to introduce legislation to help families locate missing loved ones who have Alzheimer’s disease, autism or other related conditions that may cause them to wander. The legislation will reauthorize the expired Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert Program, and include new provisions to support people with autism.
“We’ve all seen the heartbreaking stories of families frantically trying to locate a missing loved one whose condition caused him or her to wander off. We’ve also seen benefits of the Amber Alert program and other notification systems to locate missing children and bring relief to families through community assistance. My bill will use similar concepts and other technology to help locate people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia as well as children with autism spectrum disorders who may be prone to wander away from their families or caregivers. It also will make resources available to equip first responders and other community officials with the training necessary to better prevent and respond to these cases. With better information sharing, communities can play a central role in reuniting these children with their families,” Grassley said.
Iowa has the fifth highest Alzheimer’s death rate in America, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, with 1,252 deaths in 2013. About 63,000 Iowans are living with the disease. More than 8,000 Iowa children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, according to a state coalition, and its prevalence is on the rise.
Grassley’s bill reauthorizes existing programs designed to assist in locating Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patients, and it adds new support for people with autism. The bill will ensure that Justice Department grants also can be used by state and local law enforcement agencies and nonprofits for education and training programs to proactively prevent and locate missing individuals with these conditions. The grants will facilitate the development of training and emergency protocols for school personnel, supply first responders with additional information and resources, and make local tracking technology programs available for individuals who may wander from safety because of their condition. Grant funding may also be used to establish or enhance notification and communications systems for the recovery of missing children with autism.
Grassley plans to introduce the legislation in the coming weeks when Congress resumes legislative business.
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