Project Lifesaver Helps Locate Wanderers With Dementia in Record Time

Project Lifesaver is an international program that uses electronic wristbands to monitor individuals at risk of wandering, including those suffering from dementia, reports the Daily Record . Ohio agencies are participating in the program to prevent such wandering, and easily locate people who do wander off. The Lions Club in Ashland County funds the local program, covering the cost of the wristbands for about 14 residents. The Lions also pay for equipment for the Ashland County Sheriff's Office, which allows authorities to track the wristbands' radio frequencies. Over 2,400 law enforcement agencies and fire departments in the United States, Canada, and Australia are enrolled in Project Lifesaver, with 80 agencies enrolled in Ohio — including police and sheriff's departments in Franklin, Hamilton, Holmes, Knox, Huron, Lorain, and Elyria counties. Project Lifesaver estimates that law enforcement agencies recover a Project Lifesaver client in half an hour on average, which is 95 percent faster than other searches.