The Norfolk County Ontario Provincial Police are shedding light on a special project that assisted in the safe location of a 90-year-old on Tuesday.
Project Lifesaver is geared toward people with dementia, Alzheimer’s and brain injuries, and those with intellectual disabilities, such as autism, who may be prone to wandering.
With Project Lifesaver, a bracelet that transmits a radio signal is worn by the person at risk of wandering.
The bracelet can be detected by a tracking device that, if the person goes missing, is used to seek out the bracelet’s specific signal, enabling the police to conduct an efficient and quick search.
On Tuesday at 9:07 p.m., police received a call from a concerned member of the public after a 90-year-old person was reported missing from their residence.
Officers responded and were able to locate the person who was then reunited with their family thanks to the project.
“Project lifesaver allows victims suffering from Alzheimer’s and other related dementias to reside safely in their own homes,” said Insp. Joseph Varga, detachment commander of the Norfolk County OPP Detachment.
“Should they wander off, Project Lifesaver allows families the comfort of knowing we will be able to search for their loved one efficiently and return them home in a timely manner.”
The bracelet’s signal can be tracked approximately 1.6 kilometres on foot with a handheld device or about 0.5 kilometres with an antenna that is mounted on the roof of a cruiser.
Each bracelet emits a radio wave signal every second, which has an individual frequency.
Police are urging anyone with family members prone to wander to inquire about Project Lifesaver.
Originally founded in the United States, Project Life Saver is used in communities across Canada, the United States and even Australia.
Any Norfolk County residents looking for further information on Project Lifesaver can contact program co-ordinator Michele Hough at Caressant Care Courtland at 519-688-0710.